This week’s Erie-area fishing report from Randy Leighton, deputy waterways conservation officer for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission:

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Check out this reader-submitted photo of a 20 1/2-inch, 3 1/2-pound monster rainbow caught opening day:

Trophy French Creek Rainbow

Share your catch — easily upload your photo to the GoErie.com Hunting and Fishing gallery.

Wesleyville Conservation Club will stock Four Mile Creek with trout April 22 starting at 6 p.m. at District Judge Mark Krahe’s office, 3921 Buffalo Road.

The stretch from Route 20 to Route 5 is open to children under 16 and senior citizens only for the first two weeks of the season, which opened April 16.

Find other in-season stockings here.

This week’s Erie-area fishing report from Randy Leighton, deputy waterways conservation officer for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission:

Read the rest of this entry »

So the snow came back, and now the fog, and it feels like winter will never give up its grip on northwestern Pennsylvania.

A reminder that, indeed, there are four seasons here, and three of them are great for trout fishing.

The Erie PA Sport Fishing Association‘s first event of the season, the Spring Trout Challenge, is scheduled for April 17.

Interested in learning more about the group or event in person? Check out the monthly meeting March 30 at Calamari’s Squid Row, 1317 State St., where fisheries biologist Chuck Murray of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will talk about Lake Erie’s status and trends.

• Today’s warm weather hasn’t scared ice anglers off Presque Isle Bay. Bucket anglers and shanties pock the bay this afternoon. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s report from Tuesday: “Ice fishing on Presque Isle Bay for perch and steelhead has been sporadic although gill catches seem to be plentiful.”
• Jim Pfendler will resign in April as president of the Northwest Chapter of Trout Unlimited. The chapter’s secretary position and a director post also are open. Members interested in assuming a position can call Pfendler at (814) 464-5966.
• The TU Northwest Chapter’s scheduled meeting Thursday has been canceled.
• Trout Unlimited’s Caldwell Creek Chapter will put on a Marcellus Shale program Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Corry Higher Education Council, 221 N. Center St. Dave Sewak, TU’s national Marcellus Shale program coordinator, will be the guest speaker.

There should be a Fly Fishing Channel on TV, and it should play nothing but this video on a loop. I’d watch.

heads or tails from Todd Moen Creative on Vimeo.

Hard as it to believe, with snow and ice covering our corner of the state, the Pennsylvania trout fishing season opener is just three months away.

Trout stocking won’t wait for spring, though.

Winter trout stocking is going on this week and in early February throughout northwestern Pennsylvania. Justus Lake, in Venango County, and Chapman Dam Reservoir, in Warren County, are scheduled to be stocked with brook trout Wednesday (the latter just in time for this weekend’s annual Warren County Winterfest).

Erie County sites start getting stocked Feb. 1 (Lake Pleasant), when the Shenango River in Mercer County also will get a dash of rainbows. Upper Gravel Pit (Feb. 2) and the East and West Basin ponds at Presque Isle State Park (Feb. 10) also are due for stocking soon.

Want to help stock your favorite water? Find it on this list and see where and when to meet the stocking crew.

If you’ll be out for trout in this weather, make sure you have your 2011 license and that you know the regulations for the body of water you hope to fish.

Has fishing in the snow ever looked so inviting?