Perching thru the ice on new lake

[Chas0218]

So this winter I plan on fishing Cowanesque lake near me in P.A. it is just over the border. If anyone has any info on the lake it would be greatly appreciated.  

 

Those of you that fish new lakes what is the first thing you look for or do?  This lake has flooded timber at one end and has a dam at the other.  The lake gets to about 60' by the dam and 6' at the flooded timber.

 

I have done a google search and have come up with some info but I couldn't find any contour maps for the lake.

[BigmouthBass]

Boy, I'd be tempted to go a bit further south to Hammond Lake for crappie.  About 6 years ago the DEC dropped a boat load (no pun intended) of those wooden slat cube fish structures throughout the lake.  We were camping there at the time and saw them deploying them.  If one could find one of those clusters with crappie hanging out on them...

[FleetTracker]

No Navionics contour data for that lake either. I checked for ya but nothing. Google search says it was a US Army corps of engineers dam/flood project. I ice fish a similar reservoir (Whitney Point). Do best near or on the old riverbed channel before it was flooded.

[Sk8man]

Just a long shot but you might try to find listings for nearby sporting goods store, bait and tackle shops or marinas that might have "local" map of the lake and give them a call.

[Thun]

It looks like this one has depth contours but it's not free. On second thought, maybe it doesn't?

 

http://www.gpsnauticalcharts.com/main/us_bm_pa_01211965-cowanesque-lake-nautical-chart.html

 

This one is detailed but no contours

 

http://fishandboat.com/water/habitat/mgmt_plans/lake/cowanesque.pdf

Edited December 5, 2014 by Thun

[BSmaster]

Talk to Don at the tackleshack in Wellsboro.  He is a LOU sponsor tackleshack  He has the experience and the general knowledge from PFBC/Army Corp etc.  The 3 major army corp lakes tend to be slow to lock up but there is Hills Creek which is pretty quick, Beechwood, Hamilton which should have good ice fishing.  Buy a trout stamp because a few get stockings all winter.  I buy a PA license every year and only fish Tioga county Pa.  It is good all around fishing.  Don has a forum similar to this as well where he posts ice conditions.   He also has everything in the shop should you need something.

 

BTW, For pan fish, I do not think of perch fishing these lakes.  I think of crappie fishing.

[Chas0218]

I fished it once in the last 5 years and didnt do well. I only managed 2 dink perch and I threw everything down the hole. I tried tip ups with fat heads to jigging. I fish a small lake north of corning and do well on the crappie. I have to stay close to home within 15 minutes and cell phone service is a must. My wife and are expecting and she doesnt like the idea of me going so the closer to home the better.

Sent from my thinking car!

[floatfisher]

Chas, a buddy of mine and I plan on the same thing. It will be my first time getting a pa license, haven't fished in pa in years. Don is pretty good about updating ice conditions on all the ponds lakes in his site.

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