Kinzua Smelt

[SuperX2Nut]

I have come to the realization that this is my last ice fishing season in the Adirondacks and next winter I will be back home looking for work and ice fishing.

 PA has very few smelt, and since attending school here in  NY, they have become my favorite ice fishing target.

I know the smelt fishery in Harvey's no longer exists, and Raystown rarely gets good ice.

What about Kinzua? I've only fished it a few times, and never for smelt. Has anyone had any experience?

Thanks,
 Bob

[skipper4080]

No smelt there that I know, Keystone Lake south of kinzua I'm told has quite a few smelt, I fish Raystown can't say I've ever taken smelt out of there, too many alewife. We do have good ice there, but be extremely careful, ice conditions are like the great lakes, you will walk up and down large ice heaves, and thickness varies dramatically from step to step.
                                                                                Skipper

[SuperX2Nut]

Thanks for the help. I've been to Keystone before but never realized that it had some smelt.

[SuperX2Nut]

I've gotten them out of Erie in the past, but if Keystone power dam pans out, it could save me about an hour or two on the road.

Has anyone targeted them out of Keystone. I've found some information that says they are there.

[MO FISH jr.]

definitly loaded with smelt at the power dam,plan on hittin it a bit this year.just have no idea how to really catch them...

[1MOFISH]

fished the mouth of walnut creek in the lake saw one of the seneca indians just about slaughter the smeltz was ploppin then all over the ice need a bucket for the 7 fishes at CHRISTMAS
GOD bless
mo

[SuperX2Nut]

Maybe we can meet up some day, I'll show you how to catch them. The hardest part is finding them.

[ComplexSimon]

Keystone Power Dam is one of the last lakes to totally lock up in western PA.  I was fishing it a few years ago with a friend, and we decided to walk across the lake.  It went from 7-8 inches of ice about 40 yards out to almost 2 inches of ice near the middle of the crossing (we were going from the east boat launch across so it wasn't even the deepest part of the lake).  Just be careful unless you have really thick ice!