LOYALHANNA DAM

[Fx20 2011]

It has been awhile since I posted about fishing. Usually you find me on the Youghiogheny, but I have moved to a different lake. While the Youghiogheny is in a big draw down I moved only because I wanted to try something different.

The Loyalhanna is far different in many ways. First it is a much smaller lake and much narrower lake. For example it takes me maybe 10 minutes to run the lengthy of the lake. It has a silt problem which makes part of the lake tricky when your moving. Here is a tip don't go left out of the boat ramp without a lot of caution. Go right and go along the right bank leaving the ramp.

Fishing is different at this lake. The best spot that I like is near the dam. Try the right side of the bank. You will see a cove about half way to the dam on the left. As tempting as it looks it is shallow with a mud bottom and extremly warm.

Crappy fishing has been great. Just look for down trees or pay attention to where the ducks are diving for minnows. I have done well with the bass but nothing big. That's part of learning the lake. I have had success with the purple Senko and blue colored jerk bait.

It isn't or at least like today not very much pressure. What I did notice is that it is 50/50. Half of every one fishing towards the dam and the others fishing the shallows to the left of the ramp. I haven't tried that area yet. I see a lot of people bait fishing, I'm going to guess they are fishing for pan fish.

The water is really murky and in the 70's. As far as depth I would swear most of the lake is about three feet deep. Ok not really but it sure seams that way. Of course the water gets deeper as you go up the lake towards the dam.

If I hit it a few more times I can give you a better report as where to find the bass. I will note this lake has a nice boat ramp and when launching a 21 foot bass boat your going to have to get your vehicle into the water as the ramp is not steep at all.

I may hit it again this fall or I just might take the tin out and fish the Wilmore Dam in Cambria County.

You might ask why I haven't fished the Yough. The only reason is I need a partner to launch the boat. The lake is way down and the courtesy docks are out. I still don't like beaching my boat on gravel and rocks.

[Chautauquanuy]

A BBC post about Loyalhanna Lake made my day. From 1981 through 2001 I used to fish Loyalhanna all the time (Yough dam and the Mon were also my home waters).

I always did well pitching worms and jigs around the lake shoreline wood and rock. I also would run all the way up to the route 22/119 bridge. You had to make sure you were in the old Creek channel to get up. But that was 18 years ago, and I have no recent navigation experience. I now fish Chautauqua Lake and Lake Erie exclusively and have left Pa water in my rear view mirror.

I used to love fishing Loyalhanna in early October when the fished returned to the bank.

As you know, Loyalhanna is always murky and is tinted an orange color because of mine acid runoff. I recall coming in and there was a family trying to get the orange gunk off their kid after he was waterskiing, they were freaking out. You always had a orange scum line on your boat after boating there. But you caught fish and every once in a while you would catch a good one there.

[Fx20 2011]

I should have went to Raystown today. My buddy went with his bass club and their top catch was 15 pounds. I haven't been on the Mon or Allegheny at all this year. This is the first that I fished the Loyalhanna. Growing up in Lower Burrell dad and I fished Moraine, Keystone, Shenago, Pymatuming and the Allegheny.

For the record I didn't see any orange in the Loyalhanna and no orange ring on the boat today. Might be time to head to Lake Anna, Va for a weekend.

[rock ram]

I have been wanting to try Loyalhanna this year thanks for the information ,Was on Raystown Tuesday and Friday the small mouth are chasing bait

[billwvu05]

I was gonna hit the Loyalhanna yesterday but went to the Mon instead. I fished Loyalhanna in the spring and did pretty well all along the right bank from the launch to the dam. Mon fished pretty well for me yesterday on jerks and cranks, got a few around 18" mark which is a pretty good fish for the river. Wind got the best of me by noon and I packed it up and went home.

[Tom B]

I used to love to fish Loyalhanna back when I lived in Pittsburgh area - probably early 80s. Lake was always dirty and was good flipping lake. Crooked creek was good lake too thought not very big. We had an unbelievable day there in early spring one year throwing crank baits