This has been a very good week for steelhead fishing. The larger creeks have just enough color to hide the bottoms of the pools. Flows are good and probably will continue this way for a while at least.
Starting on the east side at Twenty Mile Creek, there are steelhead from top to bottom. Water color has been good, but now it is getting clear. Fresh steelhead have been moving into the creek. The largest steelhead reported this week from the east side weighed 101/2 pounds. It was caught from Twenty Mile Creek. Sixteen Mile Creek holds plenty of steelhead. Twelve Mile Creek has been holding fewer steelhead. There are few pools remaining here between Route 5 and the lake. Only a few steelhead are in lower Seven Mile Creek. Some steelhead have made it up through the fish passage devices at Four Mile Creek. The bottom end of Four Mile Creek is loaded with fish. Hot baits on the east side have been single eggs and egg skein. Fly fishers have done well using white Sucker Spawn, Crystal Egg with pink and single egg patterns.
West from Erie, steelhead fishing has been hot the past few days. A fresh run of steelhead began moving into creeks at the beginning of the week. Many of the first steelhead were jacks. Later, most of the fresh steelhead have been nice fish. A mix of jacks and larger steelhead are at the mouth of Trout Run. Walnut Creek holds many steelhead; however, steelhead fishing has not been as good as at Elk Creek. Elk Creek still has enough color to hide fish in the pools. It holds steelhead all through its length. Some of the better fishing has been in the mid-section.
This week has been one of the best, weeks for brown trout. The largest caught this week on the east side of Erie weighed 11.66 pounds. It was caught on a white Sucker Spawn fly. Several brown trout were caught this week. Female brown trout are reported to be dropping eggs.
On the west side of Erie, an 11-pound 7-ounce brown trout was caught from Walnut Creek. It took a shiner. Several brown trout were caught at the mouth of Trout Run and Walnut Creek. Try gold/red spoons for targeting brown trout in the lake. Either orange or chartreuse Power Bait has also been effective.
Fishing pressure has been very light this week on Presque Isle Bay. Crappie fishing is still good at the Marina. Several steelhead were caught this week by anglers targeting crappie. The steelhead have been hitting shiners and 1-inch emerald shiner Gulp. Perch fishing has been good in the bay whenever the weather has been mild enough.
Walleye fishing has been fair to good at the Allegheny Reservoir, and in the Allegheny River.
