Musky fishery peaking at Glendale Lake

Posted on: June 21, 2016 | Bob Frye | Comments

Glendale  muskiesA Pennsylvania-style trap net with a collection of muskies from Glendale Lake.

The centerpiece of a park named for a Russian Prince, Glendale Lake may have to be considered king.

Of local musky waters, that is.

Biologists with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission surveyed the 1,600-acre lake in Prince Gallitzin State Park in Cambria County earlier this spring. The goal was to measure its musky and panfish populations.

Both are booming.

“The catch of muskellunge was very impressive and populations appear to be at an all-time high at the lake. Additionally, the catch rates and size distribution of black crappie and white crappie during the 2016 survey were excellent,” wrote biologist aide Zachary Salada in a report of the agency’s work.

Crews handled 31 muskies overall. They stretched from 33 to 51 inches.

As for crappies, they caught 1,248 black crappies in their nets. Those fish went 3 to 15 inches. Biologists also handled 334 white crappies going 4 to 13 inches.

Those crappies are sustained by natural reproduction. The musky fishery is supported by the stocking of 8,000 purebred fingerlings each year.

The survey – which involved setting up 20 trap nets around the lake – revealed that Glendale is home to some other fish in decent numbers, too.

Nets captured 1,611 bluegills, some up to 8 inches long; 154 yellow perch up to 12 inches; and 136 brown bullhead catfish, with the longest 15 inches. Biologists also handled northern pike, yellow bullheads, chain pickerel, rock bass, pumpkinseeds and even a bowfin.

If efforts to create a walleye fishery there are working, though, the survey results didn’t show it.

The commission stocks 48,000 walleye fingerlings in the lake annually. Biologists saw just 19 in their survey, though all were nice, going 15 to 27 inches.

Bob Frye is the everybodyadventures.com editor. Reach him at 412-838-5148 or bfrye@535mediallc.com. See other stories, blogs, videos and more at everybodyadventures.com.

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