The waterways of Pittsburgh, also known as the SteelCity, make it a unique and beautiful city. Most peopleadmiring the view aren’t aware that the waters teemwith life. In fact, there are over 50 fish species thatcan be found in Pittsburgh’s rivers. One of the mostpopular gamefish there is the smallmouth bass.

by Dennis Tubbs

www.fish.state.pa.us

photo-Jeff Knapp

The fishSmallmouth bass are members of the

sunfish family. They are native to theOhio River Watershed, which includesthe Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohiorivers, locally known as the “Three Riv-ers.” Until the mid-1800s, smallmouthbass could be found only in the GreatLakes and the Ohio River Watershed.

With the industrial age and resultingpollution of the late 1800s, the numberof smallmouth bass declined in theThree Rivers. Steel production was thedominant industry from the 1800sthrough the 1970s. Hence, Pittsburgh’snickname is “Steel City.” Major pollu-tion clean-up efforts through the 1980sand 1990s resulted in a resurgence of thesmallmouth bass population. Today,Pittsburgh-area anglers can regularlyenjoy the thrill of hooking smallmouthbass. Anglers report catching small-mouth bass in the 5- and 6-pound rangewith fish of 1 to 3 pounds the norm.

In two recent Pennsylvania Fish &Boat Commission fish samplings, small-mouth bass were the dominantgamefish. In May 2003, Commissionbiologists found 11 fish species duringnight electrofishing on the MonongahelaRiver at the Braddock Lock and Damtailwaters. Smallmouth bass accountedfor 43 percent of the gamefish andpanfish. In June 2004, during a similarsampling on the Allegheny River in thearea of Lock and Dam #2, at Sharpsburg,smallmouths accounted for 45 percentof the surveyed gamefish and panfish.The smallmouths in the Allegheny Riversampling ranged from 4 to 20 incheslong. To review the results ofcurrent Three Rivers fish samplings, visitthe Commission’s web site,www.fish.state.pa.us, and under “Re-gional Information” navigate to the Area8 Fisheries Management Reports.

GearSteel-City smallmouth bass are great

fighters, so when you fish on the riversyou need strong line. Spool your reelwith a quality 8-pound- to 12-pound-test line and consider a medium-actionspinning rod-and-reel combo. A

baitcasting outfit spooled with 10-pound-test line will also help you landthe river’s smallmouth bass.

BaitLive-bait anglers do very well with

shiners in the 3-inch range and 1-inchto 2-inch crayfish. These live baits canbe found at many area tackle shops.Circle hooks placed through the bait’sback help keep shiners looking livelierand can therefore attract more strikes.Circle hooks are preferred by local an-glers for catching larger fish.

For anglers who prefer to use artifi-cial lures, the best advice is often “loca-tion, location, location.” Locating habi-tat in which your favorite artificial lure

resembles the dominant food source forbass is tricky, but it is the key to catchinglarger fish. A crankbait in a shad or fire-tiger color is an excellent lure for locat-ing bass schools. Plastic baits and jigs inblue and black or dark-brown are excel-lent baits for use around rip-rap (par-tially submerged rocks) along the water’sedge. The shallow flats located down-stream of shoreline points are greatplaces to find bass. Casting slow-sink-ing plastic lures over these flats is a te-dious technique, but it can produce greatdividends for the patient angler.

When to fishBass harvest season on the Three Riv-

ers runs from the first Saturday afterJune 11 through October 1. The creellimit is six fish that are 12 inches orlarger. The extended season runs fromOctober to April of the following yearwith a creel limit of four fish that are 15inches or larger. Be certain to check thePennsylvania Summary of Fishing Regu-lations and Laws for current seasons be-fore heading to the Three Rivers. Spe-cific regulations on the Allegheny River’sPool 3 limit bass to a 15-inch minimumyear-round. Catch-and-release anglingfor smallmouth bass on the Three Riv-ers is open year-round. Please becomefamiliar with all special regulations.

In early spring, when the water tem-perature reaches 50 degrees, smallmouthbass can be found near shallow areasbecause they are in a pre-spawningmode. At this time, fishing at any timeof day can be productive. As the sum-mer sun warms the water past 60 de-grees, bass move to deeper water and arein post-spawn mode. They may be veryaggressive early in the morning or justbefore dusk. When summer weatherraises water temperatures near 70 de-grees, smallmouth bass seek deeper wa-ter, often below locks and dams. At thistime, nighttime fishing is best for tempt-ing larger fish. As the water tempera-ture cools in the fall, smallmouths returnto more shallow water. Fall is the besttime to catch a really big fish. Whenwinter fishing on the river, there is onlyone thing to remember: Warmwater dis-

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charges. A warmwater discharge dumpswater into the river that is normally ahigher temperature than the river wa-ter. The warmer water attracts baitfish.Look for pipes along the banks withwater running out of them. On thecoolest days, any discharge could becalled a warmwater discharge.

Where to fish339. The city of Pittsburgh boat ac-

cess is located off East Carson Street atRiver Front Park on the South side ofPittsburgh. River Front Park also has ahandicapped fishing pier.

344. This is a private access at theDock of the Bay (The Crow’s Nest) inSharpsburg. A fee is charged to launchat boat at this marina.

345. A private marina located at theend of 13th Street in Sharpsburg. Afee is charged to launch at boatat this marina.

348. Aspinwall Ma-rina, located inAspinwall, is private. Afee is charged to launch aboat at this marina.

For a list of all boat accesseson the Three Rivers, refer to the Fish& Boat Commission’s “Fishing &Boating Map” or the “Southwest Re-gional Guide.” You can order both ofthese publications by contacting theCommission at P.O. Box 67000, Harris-burg PA 17106, or online view anddownload the printable order form atthe Commission’s web site,www.fish.state.pa.us. You can also viewregional maps and access amenities byclicking “Online Maps” on the left sideof the Commission web site’s main pageand then navigating to the area youwant.

For shore-based anglers, easy accessto the rivers can be gained by the biketrails that parallel the rivers. To find aprintable map of the bike trails, visit:www.friendsoftheriverfront.org.

Shore-fishing hotspotsPoint State Park. Point State Park is

located at the “Point,” the confluence ofthe Three Rivers in downtown Pitts-

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burgh. Boating an-glers who fish all day with-out a bite are often astoundedto see shoreline anglers pullingbass out of the water near thePoint. During the past several years,anglers have seen an increase in produc-tivity when fishing parallel to the shore-line, against the concrete wall.

North shore. Fishing the northshoreline between the stadiums, HeinzField and PNC Park, has produced nicebass catches but not large numbers offish.

River Front Park. From Junethrough early September, River FrontPark is rarely without a shoreline anglerbecause it is one of the most productivespots in the city. The park is located on

18th Street offEast Carson Street on

the south side of Pitts-burgh.

Locks and dams.Smallmouth bass love the

consistent temperature andhigh oxygen levels found

below the locks and dams,known as tailwaters. Fishing

the tailwaters of any of thelocks and dams can produce the larg-

est bass in the area. Many of these spotsare accessible by road and have desig-nated fishing areas. Look for the signsto the lock and dam access areas. Be sureto observe all security measures.

• Emsworth Lock and Dam on theOhio River are located just northwest ofPittsburgh off PA Route 65. The dam is6.3 river miles downriver from the Point.

• Lock and Dam #2 on the AlleghenyRiver at Sharpsburg are located north-east of Pittsburgh off PA Route 28. Thedam is 6.7 river miles upriver from the

Boatinganglers who

don’t do so wellare often astoundedto see shoreline

anglers pullingbass out of thewater near thePoint.

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Point. The best fishing at this dam is onthe Route 28 side, not near the lockchambers.

• Lock and Dam #3 on the AlleghenyRiver at Cheswick are located northeastof Pittsburgh off Freeport Road. Toreach Freeport Road, take PA Route 28north from Pittsburgh and exit ontoFreeport Road at the Harmar exit. Turnleft, north, to the lock and dam. The damis 14.5 river miles upriver from the Point.The best fishing is just off Freeport Roadat the dam. Parking is available justabove the river. This parking area is pri-vately owned; please park at the end ofthe area.

Hotspots forboat anglers

The key to successfor boat anglers is mov-ing water. Smallmouthbass prefer thedownriver side ofbridge piers and themouth of feederstreams. Bass favor themoving water. Lookbetween the downriverflow and the return up-flow in these areas and cast your lure inthe “seam.”

Chartiers Creek. The creek mouth ison the Ohio River 2.25 miles down-stream of the Point. As you boat downthe Ohio River, stay to the left of BrunotIsland, the first island on the Ohio River.The mouth of Chartiers Creek will be onyour left, the river’s south side. This spotis great when the water is high and fishmove out of the main river.

Back channel of Davis Island. Davisis the second island on the Ohio Riveron the left side of the main channel. Becareful when entering the back channelbecause the opening is shallow. Theopening is a nice flat to fish in the spring.Farther down the back channel there areenticing rocky banks with overhangingbrush—great places to jig and flip aworm.

Back channel Washington’s Land-ing. Washington’s Landing is the firstisland you encounter when traveling upthe Allegheny River. The island is 2 milesupstream of the Point. Motor into thechannel at a no-wake speed and look out

for rowers. The row-ing club docks are lo-cated in the channel.This area is also niceto fish in high water.The upper channelopening is very shal-low. The safest way inand out of the chan-nel is by using thedownriver opening.

Six Mile Island.Yes, this island is 6miles from the Point,

and it is the second island on the Allegh-eny River. Fish the upper point just be-low Lock and Dam #2. The biggest fishhave come from the back side of the is-land point, just across from the marina.

Glenwood Highway Bridge/StreetsRun. From the south side boat accessturn right, upriver, and motor to thethird bridge. This is the GlenwoodBridge, and the mouth of Streets Run ison the left shore. Fish the downriver side

of the bridge piers and the creek mouth.This area is good for using crankbaitsand slowly drifting live bait below thepiers.

When using sonar to locate fish, lookfor variations in the bottom contour. Af-ter finding a hole or dip, fish the area byworking your lure into deeper waterfrom the upriver side. Bucktail jigs havebeen successful when using this tech-nique.

Catch and releaseCatch-and-release angling has been a

significant factor in the recovery of theThree Rivers bass fishery. Anglersshould release fish as quickly as possible,keeping them above water only just longenough to take a picture. To estimatethe weight of your catch, visit theCommission’s web site and view or printthe smallmouth bass part of theCommission’s “Weight-Length Estima-tor.” This will make it possible for youto estimate the weight with a quick mea-surement of your fish.

More Resources• Navigation charts of the Allegh-

eny, Monongahela and Ohio riversare available from the U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers Pittsburgh Dis-trict. Details are available online atwww.lrp.usace.army.mil/nav/navcharts.htm, or contact theCorps at: U.S. Army Corps of Engi-neers, Pittsburgh District, 2032 Wil-liam S. Moorhead Federal Building,1000 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA15222-4186; (412) 395-7500. Themain web site address iswww.lrp.usace.army.mil.

• You’ll find a wealth of informa-tion on fish, fishing and boating inPennsylvania on the PennsylvaniaFish & Boat Commission’s web site,www.fish.state.pa.us.

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