Hobbies And Interests
Cold Water Fish
Trout naturally thrive in a cold water environment, requiring temperatures lower than 70 degrees Fahrenheit for continued survival. Much of the supply of such fish in Pennsylvania's creeks is stocked by humans for fishing. Four species of trout are common in all six Pennsylvania watersheds. Rainbow trout and golden rainbow trout rarely reproduce in the wild, and both flourish in water with a hint of alkalinity. Brown trout, now naturally prevalent, is not originally native to the state; meanwhile, the brook trout is Pennsylvania's state fish. Salmon, in the same family as trout, spend portions of their life in rivers and streams. Pink salmon, coho salmon and Chinook salmon can only be found in Pennsylvania's Lake Erie watershed.
Cool Water Fish
The ideal environment for cool water fish is higher than 65 degrees and lower than 75 degrees. Despite a seemingly small range of existence, cool water fish are many in number in Pennsylvania. Among the most prominent are northern pike, white bass and white and yellow perch. Northern pike can grow to be longer than 28 inches and are found in all Pennsylvania watersheds except the Genesee. White bass tends to travel in schools of up to several hundred, sometimes in deep waters. White and yellow perch are named appropriately for their shimmering colors; white perch, in particular, are sometimes targeted by commercial fisherman.
Cool Water Transition Fish
Where these assorted water temperatures overlap, transition waters are created. Certain species of fish thrive in these variable habitats. Blacknose and longnose dace, for example, are two species of minnows that flourish in the fast, flowing waters of Pennsylvania creeks; both can be found statewide in cool transition water. Named for its red or orange underside, the redbreast sunfish can be found anywhere from shallow waters of small creeks to deep, still lakes; this species rarely leaves its home except to breed. The saugeye is a hybrid species of the walleye and sauger, rarely breeding out of captivity, which lives easily in murky waters on a diet of insects and smaller fish.
Warm Water Fish
Warm water fish are less commonly found in Pennsylvania creeks, because of a need for warmer conditions, particularly for spawning; their ideal temperature is over 75 degrees. The pumpkinseed, a small sunfish averaging approximately 8 inches, frequents shallow streams and can survive conditions with low oxygen, high mud content and relatively high acidity. Another sunfish, bluegill, is predominantly found in lakes and ponds but can be found in slow-moving waters of Pennsylvania streams and creeks as well, hiding among weeds and rocks. A plentiful fish in Pennsylvania waters, bluegills are known to overpopulate their habitats. Several species of catfish, including flathead and channel catfish, take well to warm waters. Both of these catfish live mainly in larger streams, especially those with hard or rocky bottoms.