For those who regularly visit Kahle Lake in northwestern Pennsylvania, there will be a notable difference this summer from past years.
The lake will be about six feet lower than normal, which is something that is done annually in the winter months, but the reservoir is usually allowed to refill during the spring. For the next few years, however, the lake will remain at a lower level to allow officials to repair the spillway area.
Just because the water is lower than normal does not mean that the fishing will be poor. It can be a hassle to launch your boat at one of the two established launch sites, but once you do, you need to remind yourself that the amount of water you need to cover is now less than normal. That means condensed fishing, which simply means more fish in less water.
Due to the lower level of the lake, numerous challenges will face anglers in boats and along the shorelines of the impoundment this year. Fishermen will no longer be able to rely on the normal hotspots until the lake is refilled, which is projected to happen in 2012. Now anglers will have to search out new shallow-water hotspots, which can put the fun back in fishing. Boaters will need to be aware of underwater stumps, trees, and other obstructions when they are moving from one place to another.
Shore-bound anglers will have clear walking around the edge of the lake where water once covered the ground. This can allow for access to new locations and visible pieces of structure where fishing can be good. Any angler targeting the lake’s panfish population should have an excellent time, as the drawdown should concentrate these species in those shallow-water areas that are left. With an abundance of yellow perch, bluegills, black crappies, and bullheads, anglers should have lots of options.
One option that may be overlooked by many is one for the future. Now that the lake is down, it may be a good time to take some pictures or possibly take GPS readings of certain spots that appear to be good holding areas for fish when the lake is refilled. A little bit of legwork now can aid you in making great fish catches in the future, so remember to take something along on your next trip to document the exposed landscape.
During normal pool level, the lake has a maximum depth of 37 feet, which is where the channel of Mill Creek runs through the lake in a nearly east-west direction and can be easily found using the any number of electronic devices available to anglers these days. The edge of this creek channel is a great place for many species during the warm weather months, especially the prized game fish species that inhabit this 251-acre lake. The lake is stocked annually with about 5,000 fingerling walleyes, has a naturally reproducing largemouth bass population, and had been previously stocked with tiger musky fingerlings as late as 2007.
Kahle Lake is part of the Big Bass Program and has an excellent population of largemouths. Biological surveys show that the bass population is growing, with a large portion of the fish in the 10- to 15-inch range, but there are also numerous trophy specimens taken during the lake survey every year as well.
Walleyes are targeted by a small group of anglers on this lake. Kahle Lake has produced numerous large walleyes for this crowd, with an average fish going between 22 and 25 inches. Even bigger walleyes have turned up in the various surveys conducted over the years, some of which have pushed the tape to the 30-inch mark. Given an excellent forage base and the deeper water associated with the creek channel running the length of the lake, it is an excellent habitat for the species.
While summer is just getting started, we can also look ahead to the future for this body of water. Kahle Lake is a year-round destination, providing great fishing action every month of the year. The winter may see as much or more fishing pressure than during the warm weather months. Kahle Lake is a must-do destination for many ice fishermen, and for good reason. Its abundant yellow perch population provides great action for those who prefer to fish through holes in the ice. At times, it will resemble a small town on this impoundment, as anglers key on a specific spot where the fish are holding on structure under the ice. Not only will they be there in good numbers, but the size will be good too. Some anglers contend that Kahle rivals Lake Erie when it comes to the average size of the perch that are taken there.
For anglers wishing to make a visit to Kahle Lake, it is easy to reach. Travel Interstate 80 to the town of Emlenton, and then take Route 208/38 in a northerly direction. These routes will split at a point about a mile south of the lake, and from there you can take either route to one of many side routes that will bring you to the lake. Signage for the boat launches are posted on Route 38, which runs on the western side of the impoundment, so that could be the easiest route in to the water for someone who is visiting it for the first time.
If you have questions about the lake, you can contact area fisheries manager Allen Woomer at awoomer@state.pa.us to find out current information. You can also contact the Clarion County Tourism agency at www.pagreatoutdoors.com or the Venango County Tourism agency at www.oilregion.org to learn about lodging, eateries, and anything else you may need to know when visiting this area for the first time.
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