New news from the PFBC regarding Shenango effective 01/2019:
 

Also, Commissioners approved the designation of Shenango River Lake in Mercer County as a panfish enhancement water for crappies. The change reduces the creel limit from 50 to 20 per day and creates a 9-inch minimum size. The change is intended to boost the population of white crappie, which has been decreasing since 2010, and increase the size of both black and white crappies.
A 2017 survey of 138 anglers showed that 89% of those who identified themselves as crappie anglers preferred the 9-inch minimum size limit and 71% preferred a 20 per day creel limit. The change will take effect on Jan. 1, 2019.
 
 

I'll be darned, that there is somethin.

Maybe the PFBC has finally realized there's more than just trout that requires proper management.

Plus anglers do fancy, catching ediable fish.

By chance, any such changes in line for Wilhelm, for the near future??


Thanks for taking the time to post the info.


😱What...... Wait, is there whispers of "Crappie Stamp" in the hills of Pennsylvania???

Ramps at Shenango...
Do Big Bend, Hartford Landing or Parkers Landing have docks?  Or are these only for very small boats / yaks etc.  I'v got a little 17 foot fish and ski.  Wondering if I can launch from any of these or just the main 3 rec areas?

No docks at Hartford, Parkers, or Big Bend.     Mahaney is the better choice of the three sights with docks/ramps/parking,  Shenango Rec Area (requires a steep uphill walk back to the parking lot) and may be shallow to some trailers and watch the stupid curb that runs along the edge of the ramp out into the water, it has claimed a few props.   Clark is subject to closing due to flooding so use of the Rec Area may be needed, unless you wish to make the drive to Mahaney.   HOWEVER, none of the boat docks are near the ramps which will require you drive/launch off your trailer, wade/use waders or have, one hellllllllll of a long bow rope.  Sooooo, Hartford or Parkers may work just as well.  Although, I'm not sure of the parking situation, at those two sights.
 
Hope this helps with your question, good times and tight lines.

Finally ! One year later the PBFC releases the 2017 Shenango biologist report from the nets they put in last spring ........and as usual Shenango Lake got shortchanged on the Walleye stockings past several years.
 
  http://pfbc.pa.gov/bioreports/bio2018/1x05-07-ShenangoLake.pdf

Guess they don’t realize there’s already stunting going on from the number of small fish competing for food. Good luck with the new regs.

Thanks for posting that link Hook. Interesting reading. Never saw how they surveyed fishermen at the dock included in a report.
So next year I'll see what the results were of this year's Wilhelm assessment.
Good to know.
I'll stop nagging them

Yea , MD they don't move very fast on field or lake reports ...but one year ? Come on ...with todays high tech gadgets those should be released in a month or two ! And even at that they are still guessing.... I'm OK with that.....because they only had the test nets in one small area of the lake. I guess some survey catching and testing is better than none at all. I see our lakes are full of Quillbacks / Carp Suckers.....seems their numbers are highly increasing...foul hooked a few over the years. 

chauncy
Guess they don’t realize there’s already stunting going on from the number of small fish competing for food. Good luck with the new regs.

Chauncy has hit the nail on the head. Pa.'s regs are stupid. Since (by the trapnetting), 96% of the Black Crappie are up to only 9.9 inches, that means roughly only 4% can be harvested. Also by the numbers, the ratio of Black Crappie to White Crappie is approximately 8:- -1:. So you have a lake with thousands of stunted fish. Keep harvesting the 9" + fish and soon all the largest breeding stock will be gone. Take all the keeper White Crappie and the same thing will happen. Most other states protect the larger breeding stock with slot limits. It works for them. Don't know why it wouldn't work in PA. 

90% the fish crappies I catch from the lake are -9" its roughly 60% or better on the day