by Jeff Knapp 8 Pennsylvania Angler & Boater www.fish.state.pa.us Once considered an aquatic wasteland, the Monogahela River is continuing a trend of improvement that began nearly three decades ago. Today the Mon provides a fishery for several gamefish species. The sauger furnishes perhaps the highest-quality sport. The Mon River is formed by the convergence of the Tygart that though chemical analyses don’t yet show any signifi- River and West Fork River in Fairmont, West Virginia. cant improvement, Cheat Lake’s largemouth bass fishery Flowing north, it enters Pennsylvania near Point Marion has come on strong in recent years–one of the top in West and continues a 90-mile northerly venture that leads to Virginia. Anything done to improve the quality of the Cheat Pittsburgh. Along this route, six lock-and-dam systems im- River drainage has to benefit the Pennsylvania portion of pound the Mon, elevating it to a depth at which commercial the Mon. Unfortunately, additional sources of acid mine barge traffic is possible. drainage enter the Cheat River below the lake, before its According to Commission Area 8 Fisheries Manager Rick merger with the Mon. Lorson, the major turning points for the Mon occurred As the Fish and Boat Commission report points out, the back in 1972, first with the passage of the federal Clean Wa- Mon lags behind the Allegheny and Ohio rivers in terms of ter Act, and then at the Tri-State Environmental water quality and the overall fishery it provides. But recent Symposium held in Pittsburgh. This symposium was at- Commission surveys indicate that, interestingly enough, the tended by involved state and federal resource agencies and sauger fishery is as good as or better than that of the other private-citizen groups, with the subject of how best to im- two rivers. prove the water quality in the Three Rivers area. Over the “The Monogahela has a very good sauger fishery,” re- nearly 30 years that have passed since that symposium, the ported Lorson. “There are also good numbers of large water quality has greatly improved, thus providing a similar saugers.” The biologist noted that more large saugers have growth in the diversity of the Mon’s fish life. turned up in surveys than in either the Ohio or Allegheny Lorson’s Area 8 fisheries management team recently filed rivers. a report on the Mon’s water quality: “The improvement in water quality has been the result of Subtle differences sewage treatment facility upgrades, regulation and reduc- Understanding why the Mon shines in terms of sauger tion of industrial activities, increased regulation and production calls for an understanding of the fish itself. Na- reclamation of acid mine discharges, and improvements in tive to the Ohio River drainage, the sauger, like the walleye, other water quality protection techniques. Although dra- is a member of the perch family and has a quite similar matic improvements have been accomplished, the look. Distinctions between the two are subtle, but become Monongahela River remains the most industrialized and obvious once you’ve seen a few of each fish. degraded of the three rivers near Pittsburgh.” Saugers have a more mottled appearance, with bars often Good news could be on the horizon regarding the Cheat extending below the lateral line of the fish. The dark blotch River, which enters the Mon at Point Marion. Extensive present on the walleye on the rear of the spined dorsal fin work is currently underway in the Cheat River watershed, does not exist on the sauger. Also, the white tip on the which lies almost entirely in West Virginia. According to lower fin of the tail, which is distinct on the walleye, is West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Fisheries Biolo- present on the sauger, but much more subtle and usually gist Frank Jernejcic, liming in mine acid-influenced fringed with an orange or copper color. How vivid the tributaries of the Cheat River upriver of Cheat Lake could markings of a sauger are depend on the color of the water be having a beneficial effect on the watershed. Jernejcic said from which it was caught. During muddy conditions these Know Your Sauger and Walleye photo-Jeff Knapp, illustration-Ted Walke photo-Jeff Knapp, illustration-Ted Saugeye Stizostedion canadense x Stizostedion vitreum Sauger Stizostedion canadense Walleye Stizostedion vitreum www.fish.state.pa.us Pennsylvania Angler & Boater 9 markings tend to wash out. “With its lower gradient, INTERSTATE It’s also worth noting that 76 the Mon has longer, more all of the saugers in the ALLEGHENY lake-like pools,” explained Mon, or any of the three riv- INTERSTATE Lorson. “The water tends ers for that matter, are wild 79 North Park to be more turbid, and fish. The density of the Lake saugers seem to do better Northmoreland population relies completely Lake there than walleyes.” on natural reproduction, the Ohio River Besides the slower drop success of which varies Allegheny to the river, some of the greatly from year to year. dams on the Mon are gated, Conditions during and River instead of fixed-crest. A shortly after the spawning gated dam provides a period, which normally oc- Pittsburgh A deeper impoundment of the Braddock curs in early to mid-April, B river, which adds to the have a strong influence on L/D 2 lake-like effect. Less cur- Monongahela INTERSTATE spawning success. High wa- Duquesne 76 rent is also present. These ter and abnormally cold River C McKeesport physical factors tie in to water can spell trouble for a Clairton how the river is best fished. year-class. During springs of D “These factors all come warm, stable weather, strong into play on the Mon,” said year-classes are usually pro- L/D 3 Youghiogheny Lorson. “When compared duced. Saugers grow River to the other two rivers, quickly, and, given a good WASHINGTON E there is less habitat, and forage base, (gizzard shad in Monongahela Donora that means there is less op- the case of the Mon River) WESTMORELAND portunity. The tailrace INTERSTATE L/D 4 can quickly grow into the 12- 70 F areas, which are well-oxy- inch size range. Biologists Fayette genated, provide the best have documented saugers City sauger habitat on the river.” reaching this size range in California There are six lock-and- less than two years, so a dam systems on the Mon Maxwell L/D Virgin Run strong year-class can quickly Dam River between the West Vir- translate into excellent fish- Brownsville ginia line and Pittsburgh. ing. The bad news is that G Starting in Pittsburgh and fast-growing fish tend to Uniontown Dunbar moving upriver, dams are have a high degree of natural GREENE Creek located in Braddock (Locks mortality–they die of “old & Dam 2), Elizabeth (Locks age” quite early. A sauger & Dam 3), Charleroi (Locks much over 15 inches would FAYETTE & Dam 4), upriver of have to be considered a big Brownsville (Maxwell Locks one in Pennsylvania. Having & Dam), Grays Landing fished the three rivers dur- Greensboro (Gray’s Landing Locks & L/D 7 ing the prime times for Dam), and at Point Marion about a dozen years, the big- PENNSYLVANIA (Point Marion Lock & gest saugers I have taken H Dam). have been in the 18-inch WEST VIRGINIA POINT MARION Other spots worth check- range. ing out are the mouths of Other differences between the walleye and sauger concern tributaries. Such places often provide habitat by washing the environments each prefers. Walleyes like clearer water. sand or gravel bars out into the river during periods of high Saugers do better in more turbid conditions, which helps water. It’s possible that cooler and better oxygenated water explain why they do well in the Mon. is located in some of these spots as well. A = Southside Access (City of Pittsburgh) E = Monongahela Access (PFBC) B = Braddock Access F = Speer Access (PFBC) C = McKeesport Access (PFBC) G = East Fredericktown Access D = Elizabeth Access H = Point Marion Access (PFBC) map graphic-Ted Walke map graphic-Ted 10 Pennsylvania Angler & Boater www.fish.state.pa.us Finding saugers slack line will form as the jig hits Catching Mon River the bottom. With a sensitive rod, saugers isn’t a complicated and in depths of 15 feet or less, you affair. The trick is finding may be able to feel the jig hit bot- them. From late fall into tom. You don’t want to be dragging early spring, when the sea- the lure along with excess line out. son closes in mid-March, Snags will be frequent, and you’ll saugers usually school in have a tough time distinguishing a specific areas. As has been sauger hit from a snag. previously mentioned, the Once you have a hit or catch a better habitat on the Mon sauger, it’s wise to throw out a lies near the tailrace areas in buoy to mark the spot. By hover- the upper third or so of the ing around the buoy, you may be pool. For the boat angler, able to catch fish all day long. On the immediate tailrace area A school of saugers appears on this sonar unit’s screen. all three of the major western can be fished only from a Saugers school tightly this way from fall through early March. Pennsylvania rivers, I’ve sat on point below the down- This reading was taken in March 1999. Note that the water such spots and pulled in saugers, stream end of the approach temperature is 32 degrees (upper right of screen). one after another. wall of the lockage.