An impoundment so large that it sprawls
over two states, Pymatuning Reservoir's jaws bites up to 17,088
surface water acres.
Give or take and depending on whom you
speak with since that figure is what Pennsylvania uses while Ohio
provides two others.
On-line literature available through
the Ohio Department of Natural Resources lists Pymatuning as covering
either 14,650 acres or 16,349 acres.
No matter, Pymatuning is huge; so
large, in fact, that back in World War II a Cleveland-based company
used the reservoir's lengthy south end to test the motor mechanisms
for torpedoes.
Certainly not surprising then the
reservoir – or lake, if you prefer – is more than ample enough to
lay claim to being capable of housing not just a wide variety of fish
species but also an ample population of each kind of fish species.
Conceived in the early part of the last
century, work began building Pymatuning in 1931 and was completed in
1934 at a cost of $3.7 million.
Its purpose then as it is now is to
help prevent flooding in a generally low-lying geological region on
Pennsylvania's side of the isle.
But since Ohio land was required to
build the lake Pennsylvania needed Ohio's cooperation along with that
of the federal government.
Consequently, ever since Pymatuning was
created the management of its fisheries has seen a two-parent
partnership, jointly enjoyed by both Pennsylvania as well as Ohio.
Which has proven good for the two
state's, anglers and the lake's fishes, says fisheries experts from
Pennsylvania and Ohio.
“Our partnership has worked very
well,” said Timothy A. Wilson, a fisheries technician for the
Pennsylvania's Fish and Boat Commission's District Two (Northwest
Pennsylvania). “We share the data we each collect and we usually
come to the same conclusions.”
Presently those joint conclusions point
toward a robust and diverse fisheries, agrees Phil Hillman, the
fisheries management administrator for the Ohio Division of
Wildlife's District Three (Northeast Ohio) Office.
Efforts often are directed so as not to
overlap duties, too, enabling each party to help carry the load. Both
states do, however, conduct fish samplings of the lake with Ohio also
performing creel census surveys of anglers.
Again, the joint effort demonstrates
Pymatuning's strengths as well as its weaknesses.
Famed throughout the region as a go-to
walleye angling destination, Pymatuning's fishers have seen a bumpy
road getting there, the two states say.
Back in the 1980s for a spell the
walleye angling was abysmal though not from a lack of fish.
Rather, the lackluster angling catch
rate was hobbled by an explosion of non-native alewives.
With so much tasty alewives to feast
upon the reservoir's walleye had no need to chase down Hot N' Tots
and Rapalas being trolled nor worm harnesses being drifted, Hillman
and Wilson both said.
As all things do in Nature, a balance
was restored where today roughly one-half of Pymatuning's anglers
again now indicating how they are primarily targeting the lake's
walleye.
How long this objective will remain is
uncertain, however, and says Wilson.
“Our netting surveys this spring are
showing another spike in alewives, which have again exploded,”
Wilson said.
Okay, so walleye angling may slip some,
but Pymatuning has other fish species which anglers happily seek.
“Pymatuning has always had good
crappie fishing, especially when it comes to size,” Hillman said.
Figures available through the state's Fish Ohio program bear this out
as well. Last year the Wildlife Division issued 1,771 Fish Ohio
trophy citations for crappies measuring at least 13 inches and of
which 81 represented catches from Pymatuning.
And while the ubiquitous “farm pond”
claimed the greatest number of Fish Ohio crappie entries at 504,
Pymatuning's 81 still ranked second behind Mosquito Reservoir with
132 entries.
The reason is simple, says both Hillman
and Wilson.
That being, Pymatuning has an abundance
of forage a crappie can choose from when looking at the lake's menu.
At Pymatuning, says Wilson, a crappie
can gobble down spot-tail shiners, brown silver-side shiners, small
yellow perch, blunt-nosed minnows, small gizzard shad, as well as
small alewives.
“Pymatuning has a real fantastic
forage base,” Wilson says.
Which translates into lots of protein
for crappies.
In terms of crappie size, Hillman says
also, Ohio's test-netting points to an average of 10.8 inches for
black crappies (Pymatuning's more populous crappie clan) and 11.1
inches for white crappie.
What's more, says Hillman, is that the
average size for Pymatuning's other panfish species likewise are good
to exceptional. These species include yellow perch and sunfish.
“As a fisheries manager these good
average sizes would be scary because it would show poor recruitment
but that's not the case at Pymatuning,” Hillman says.
Likewise, good natural recruitment
means that neither Ohio nor Pennsylvania needs to stock Pymatuning
with little crappies in order for them to grow up to frying-pan size.
Indeed, the last time Ohio stocked
Pymatuning with either brand of crappies were the World War II years
of 1942 and 1943, said Hillman.
And so with more than 75 years of
jointly managing Pymatuning Lake's fisheries resources, biologists
with their respective Ohio and Pennsylvania agencies believe they
have evolved a good working relationship.
Still, Hillman did note that when the
two states hold their annual fisheries management pow-wow this winter
no doubt they'll discuss some potential fine-tuning strategies.
“Pymatuning's fisheries management is
more complex because of two states being involved but it works out
well because we work well together,” Hillman said.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
good info. Taking a course at this lake for 3 weeks in May. Looking forward to exploring a new lake and fishing from the shore on the PA side
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