CURWENSVILLE – Curwensville Lake has shown “considerable improvement” as a fishery over the previous decade, according to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC).
The Fisheries Management Area 3 staff attributed the lake’s improvements to two major factors. They noted that in 1997, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers implemented a “no winter draw down” water-level management plan, allowing for a stable pool elevation during most of the year and consistent year-round shallow water habitat.
Secondly, they noted that water quality has likely improved due to acid mine drainage remediation efforts in the West Branch Susquehanna River watershed upstream of the lake. As a result, they said that it’s likely a combination of improved habitat and water quality that have resulted in the significant improvements in the reservoir’s sport fish populations.
The staff conducted trap net and night electrofishing surveys at Curwensville Lake during the week of May 18. The trap nets were fished at 12 locations for a total of 279.5 hours. In addition, the night electrofishing survey, which was conducted on the night of May 19, included four sites. Prior to May, Curwensville Lake had been previously surveyed by the PFBC in 1998, according to commission’s Web site.
The survey’s results indicated that 17 fish species were collected during trap netting. Bluegill (124) and Brown Bullhead (101) were the top two most abundant game fish species. However, the report also indicated that Black Crappie (59) and White Crappie (55) were also among the most abundant collected during the survey.
The night electrofishing survey targeted walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and tiger muskellunge. Black bass – both smallmouth (38) and largemouth (60) – catch rates during the 2009 survey were nearly seven times greater than the previous survey from 1998, according to the commission’s Web site.
The survey reported that Walleye catches also “improved considerably” from the previous survey. The staff noted that in 2004, Curwensville Angler’s Restocking Program (CARP) began a walleye stocking program and likely contributed to the walleye catches.
Curwensville Lake is located on the West Branch Susquehanna River. The dam was completed in 1965 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The lake’s reservoir is one of four impoundments used for flood control in the West Branch Susquehanna River watershed reservoir. However, it also provides water supply storage as well as opportunities for both fishing and boating.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is responsible for fish management activities on the reservoir. The PFBC manages the lake’s warmwater and coolwater fish populations under statewide angling regulations and stocks tiger muskellunge fingerlings annually.