One definition of “junction” is a place where two things meet. In the case of flowing waters, junctions — or more accurately junction pools — can be defined as a place to enjoy good fishing.

The habitats provided in junction pools are often attractive to both food fish and gamefish. There can be distinct current lines, depth changes, and blends in water clarity and temperature as the two waters meet. Many of my better outings have occurred at junction pools.

I recall a late winter day, probably 20 years ago, when Andy Vetula and I enjoyed some of the fastest fishing for walleye and sauger I’ve ever experienced. The day had already been a productive one when I anchored the boat at the mouth of the Kiskiminetas River, where it joins the Allegheny just north of Freeport. Though it was mid-March, the weather had been unseasonably mild for several days; the flow from the Kiski was several degrees warmer than the big river.

As the sun dropped behind the steep valley we began pitching jig-n-minnow combos out into the pool. A distinct current line marked the mergers of the two currents; we targeted the area just short of where the Kiski’s flow met the Allegheny. For over an hour we each caught a fish on every cast. I can’t say how many we boated, but a hundred would be a conservative estimate. They we still biting when, in the pitch dark, we tired of the action.

One of the more popular fishing spots during my youth was the “point,” where Little Mahoning Creek joins Mahoning Creek near Smicksburg. In March the place experienced a big run of white suckers; I suspect it still does, though I don’t know if many folks take advantage of it. One April day I caught some of my first quality-sized smallmouth bass from a stream, fish in the 17 inch range that chased down a CP Swing spinner. The place was also noted for muskies and northern pike.

During trout season, the pool where Mud Lick Run joins Little Mahoning, just upstream of the Route 210 bridge, was a choice trout spot. Incoming cooler flows are significant trout attractors, particularly on larger trout waters like this stretch of Little Mo, which warms quickly with the coming of summer.

The biggest smallmouth bass I’ve ever caught came from a junction pool of sorts, where the lower Niagara River joins Lake Ontario. It was mid May. The flow from the river was warmer and dirtier than that of the lake. Big smallies were stacked up in a side eddy close to the bank along the American shore. Throwing light tube jigs, noted guide Frank Campbell and I caught a bunch of huge smallmouth bass, including my personal best which tipped the scales at seven pounds, 11 ounces. Amid the action Fort Niagara reenactment cannons boomed over our heads.

Northwest Pennsylvania’s French Creek is noted for catches of exceptional muskies and walleyes during the winter months. Nearly all of these fish are caught at junction pools, where streams like Little Conneauttee, Woodcock Creek and the Conneaut Marsh outflow join the French.

Earlier this month my buddy Dave Keith boated a 20-inch smallmouth bass from a junction pool. We were fishing the Allegheny River, near Parker. Early in the evening we caught several nice bass along the shoreline below the mouth of the Clarion River. The Clarion was running clear, the Allegheny still quite dirty from the recent rain. The plume of clearer water — which hugged the eastern bank for several hundred yards, was the attraction to these fish. Later in the day, while fishing a shallow flat near the mouth of Bear Creek, Dave took the biggest smallmouth of the day, one that took a Yum Houdini Shad worked over the shallow, rocky flat.

Junction pools provide some of the best option for shore anglers hoping to catch fish from bigger rivers. The mouth of Garretts Run — where it joins the Allegheny near Manorville — comes to mind. During the summer one can expect to catch channel cats, perhaps a flathead catfish. Fall through winter it’s a good place for walleyes and sauger, especially during the evening witching hour.