Tionesta Lake Kinzua Reservoir

[zeboman]

Has anyone ever caught flatheads in either of these places? I know the cats are in the allegheny up there.

[Pennsylvaniacatchaser]

Good question Dan! I am interested also to hear the responses to your question. Since the Allegheny River has Flatheads it would make sense that these 2 places would have them also but I don't know if they do or not!

[zeboman]

Usually when we fish these two areas it`s for walleye,pike, and musky we have never tried to catch cas up there yet,might have to find out for myself.

[catfish chaser]

I've done alot of fishing on tionesta, But have never seen any flats taken from there. I've seen a couple HUGE muskies taken from there though

[zeboman]

I would think somebody put some flatheads in there at some point.

[Fishgeek]

Yes! There are flatties in the area. When I was in college I worked with the PFBC out of the Tionesta office. The old hatchery manager & one of the fish culturists used to fish for flats pretty close to town there...near the confluence of the Alleghany River & Tionesta Creek. The used rock bass for bait. The hatchery manager had a pic of a really nice flat he caught in that area. Not sure about the reservoir though.

[zeboman]

My hunting camp is in the Tidioute area not far from the hatchery, where do they catch flatheads around that area ?

[zeboman]

Do you know if they dredge the river up there anywhere because there is a river gravel company up there also that is in the same area.

[DeerHunter01]

Guys from Tionesta up river you start to lose the Flathead population big time, by the time you get to Warren you out of them, for some reason the flats will not go that far up, Kinzua Reservoir has no Flatheads I have done a lot of gill netting and studies out of that lake and never ever caught one Flathead in the Lake. Up river from Kinzua alot of studies clear to Port Allegany and never seen one in that area either, Lots of Channel cats have been stocked in the Allegany River and Kinzua Reservoir.

I think you will find from Tionesta up stream you will most likely catch Channels. I lived up there for several years and never seen a Flathead except below Tionesta.

Fishgeek: his boss has caught a few of them up there but not very many, not like they are down river into the mouth of the Ohio River.

[DeerHunter01]

zeboman : I have never seen them dredge that river up in that area, unless a city or a town gets a permit to remove gravel out of the river for things they need in town or they get a permit to remove a gravel bar that is diverting the water the wrong way, that's about the only time they will do anything like that but for dredging that river in that part no they don't not like you see on the Allegany and Ohio and Mon rivers down towards Pittsburgh area.

[zeboman]

That sounds about right, a few guys I work with have camps down river in Venango county and they catch them flats in the 30-40 lb. range on a regular basis.The cold water up near Kinzua is more suited for trout.Thanks for the info. DH

[catfish chaser]

I caught a couple nice channels below the kinzua dam but never seen a flathead. I think the river is too shallow up that way they won't dredge it

[Fishgeek]

Deerhunter: Yes, you are correct. They never caught many but I know they got a couple nice ones occasionally....of course nothing like what they do down by Pittsburgh. I apologize if my post was misleading to anyone.

catfish chaser: "I caught a couple nice channels below the kinzua dam but never seen a flathead. I think the river is too shallow up that way they won't dredge it"

Thank God they won't dredge it...that's a great way to ruin a perfectly good river!!!

[zeboman]

Your post wasn`t misleading , they have a state championship fishing tournament up there every year and not many flats are entered and I always wondered why. Well I got my answer great info. guys thanks.