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3,559 acres · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — PFBC data, retrieved Oct 4, 2026
Special regulations
Big Bass Program — 2026 Fishing Summary, p. 11 Panfish Enhancement Special Regulations — 2026 Fishing Summary, p. 15
PFBC Best Fishing Waters
Common Carp, Channel Catfish, Striped Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass — list of Nov 2024
Latest PFBC survey
April 2023 (3 years ago)
On the 2026 trout schedule
No (as published Oct 4, 2026)
Fish-consumption advisory
No lake-specific row in the 2026 list
Ice-fishing list
On PFBC's ice-fishing destination list (retrieved Oct 4, 2026)
Shenango River Lake covers 3,559 acres in Mercer County, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake. PFBC biologists last reported on it in April 2023. The 2026 advisory has no lake-specific row for it; the statewide one-meal-a-week advice applies.
What PFBC biologists found
Apr 2023 survey · 3 years ago
PFBC biologist report
Gear: trap nets, night electrofishing
Trap nets captured 1102 Channel Catfish with a maximum length of 30 inches. (p. 3)
The catch included 431 Black Crappies averaging 8.5 inches. (p. 3)
The catch included 11 Flathead Catfish measuring 27 to 42 inches. (p. 2)
The electrofishing catch rate for black bass was 57.8 fish per hour. (p. 5)
Black Crappie measuring 7 to 9.9 inches accounted for 96% of the catch of that species. (p. 8)
“Channel Catfish are sustained solely through natural reproduction.”— PFBC biologist report, p. 4
PFBC's plan, in our words: PFBC plans to recommend Panfish Enhancement Regulations for crappie harvest and monitor crappie relative abundance, growth, and survival. (p. 12)
Findings are our short summaries of one survey at one time. Every number was checked against the cited page of PFBC's report. We don't rate lakes.
On PFBC's 2026 trout-stocking schedule
Shenango River Lake is not on PFBC's 2026 adult trout schedule (as published Oct 4, 2026).
Fish consumption advice (2026 list)
No lake-specific advice for Shenango River Lake in the 2026 list.
Statewide advice:“Pennsylvania has issued a general, statewide health advisory for recreationally caught sport fish: eat no more than one meal (1/2 pound) per week of sport fish caught in the state’s waterways.”
“People who regularly eat sport fish, women of childbearing age and children are particularly susceptible to contaminants that build up over time.”
DEP: “The advisory listing was current at the time this summary went to press. Fish consumption advisories may have been issued or lifted since that time.”
Nearby stream advisory
Nearby stream advisory: Shenango River (Shenango Reservoir Dam to mouth) — All species: Do Not Eat (2026)
Largemouth, Smallmouth and Spotted Bass: 15-inch minimum and 4 a day (combined) from Jan. 1 through April 10 and from June 13 through Dec. 31; catch and immediate release only from April 11 through June 12, with no tournaments. Other species follow inland rules.
The 2026 advisory has no lake-specific row for Shenango River Lake. The statewide advice — no more than one meal (1/2 pound) a week of sport fish — still applies. Not medical advice.
What fish are in Shenango River Lake?
PFBC's April 2023 survey recorded: Black Crappie, White Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, White Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Pumpkinseed, Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, Common Carp, Golden Redhorse, Spotted Sucker, Gizzard Shad, Spottail Shiner, Alewife, Golden Shiner, Emerald Shiner, Quillback, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass. Surveys record what biologists caught with their gear on those days, not everything in the lake.
Is Shenango River Lake a Big Bass lake?
Yes. PFBC's special-regulation data and the 2026 Fishing Summary (p. 11) list it in the Big Bass Program: Largemouth, Smallmouth and Spotted Bass: 15-inch minimum and 4 a day (combined) from Jan. 1 through April 10 and from June 13 through Dec. 31; catch and immediate release only from April 11 through June 12, with no tournaments. Other species follow inland rules.