Pike and Smallies

The travel time is a big higher than you'd like... but there are a lot of pike in Highpoint Lake. Most of them are small to mid-range in size. There are decent numbers of smallies there too.
 
http://fishandboat.com/wa..._point/00highpoint.htm
 
The elevation is very high so it's one of the first lakes in the area to freeze, which can be good or bad depending on what kind of fishing you want to do.
 
Loyalhanna Lake is a lot closer to you. Little to no pike or smallies, but an abundance of muskie and largemouth. http://fishandboat.com/im.../8x06_01loyalhanna.htm
 

Yea, there don't seem to be many caught, but they are certainly in there. Check out this biologist survey from 2005. 
 

 
There are some decent Esox swimming in there.
 
(FYI -- Just saw this press release, High Point is being drawn down throughout the fall and winter in an attempt to limit vegetation growth. Sorry for that... a result of posting from the other side of the world. You can still fish the lake of course, just different conditions.)

A few more places are cranberry glade lake and laurel hill state park.  Also Youghiogheny Lake but you may not want to go that far.    I would think Cranberry would have better numbers for northerns and is a nice lake to visit.  You should try the search feature on this website.  Type in pike and search then see what comes up from the southwest pa board.  Also here's the link to the fish commission biologist reports http://fishandboat.com/afm.htm
 
I would look for fishing reports and not just stocking info or biologist reports since sometimes they stock places and the fish don't take well.  I believe this may be the case with Loyalhanna.  Tons of musky have been stocked in there over the years but it's never really been known to give up many fish to the diehard musky anglers.  I'm sure there's a few in there but I think Somerset lake or some of the local rivers would yield better results for musky.  Bridgeport dam was stocked with tiger musky for several years but not many were caught and Lorson told me they're done stocking it.  Unfortunately alot of the better pike/musky waters are in the northwest part of the state but some of the places mentioned can definately put you onto some pike.  Good luck

Hey Fishink, whats the scoop on the pike in your avatar? that's a beast!

H20Wolf I would look for fishing reports and not just stocking info or biologist reports since sometimes they stock places and the fish don't take well.  I believe this may be the case with Loyalhanna.  Tons of musky have been stocked in there over the years but it's never really been known to give up many fish to the diehard musky anglers.  I'm sure there's a few in there but I think Somerset lake or some of the local rivers would yield better results for musky.  Bridgeport dam was stocked with tiger musky for several years but not many were caught and Lorson told me they're done stocking it.  Unfortunately alot of the better pike/musky waters are in the northwest part of the state but some of the places mentioned can definately put you onto some pike.  Good luck

 
There definitely doesn't seem to be a big abundance. What local rivers would you suggest in that area hold more fish? I'm familiar with the area but by no means an expert on the fishing around there.
 
What you describe has happened a few times. Donegal Lake (Fourmile Run Dam) was stocked with muskellunge and tiger muskellunge and walleye for a while and yet few if any could ever be found. They ended those stocking programs too.
 
As you mentioned, Yough Lake is also good. Maybe the best in the area for pike. At least that's my experience, but I haven't fished it in years. I've done very well on suckers fished below pole floats there in the past.

The Allegheny, Monongahela, and Youghiogheny Rivers all have musky in them.  Hey kalninm if you go to Cranberry check your private messages first. 
 
Fishink... You're right about the musky program in Donegal and others.  What they did a few years ago was stopped stocking a small number of musky in a lot of places and started stocking larger numbers in select waters. 

I'm pretty familiar with the Allegheny and especially the Mon and Yough. But those are a bit far from Latrobe, no?

And with the cost of gasoline now, even day trips to local waters are like mini-expeditions.
 
Say you pay $3.80 for a gallon of gas and your vehicle gets 20 miles to the gallon. You'll run out about 6 gallons of gas going there and back. $25 gone just like that.
 

The problem with Conemaugh River Lake is there are some areas that are better then others to fish and honestly you would need a boat, I wouldn't advise fishing much from shore in the lake since it's a flood project and there's alot of silt and soft muck.  As for Pike, I've caught them there and seen plenty down near the outflow and power plant, plus your chance for eyes are pretty good,  Also is a fairly abundant smallie population in the section from the outflow down stream towards Tunnelton.  There's also Smallies in Loyalhanna creek downstream of the dam I wouldn't specifically say you could catch pike there but I definitely I can say some musky.  Also there's the pools 5/6/7 on the Allegheny (Freeport - Kitanning) there's a pretty good population of pike as well as musky in those pools and a large population of smallies in #6 aswell as eyes.