Though open water fishing might seem far away — after all it’s sub-zero outside as I write this on a blustery Thursday evening — within a month or so fishing options will begin to present themselves. Here’s a look at a few of them, starting with some top choices next month.

March Middle Allegheny Northern Pike

It’s interesting how anglers will lay down thousands of dollars in hard earned cash to travel to the northern reaches of Canada to fish for northern pike, but ignore them in their home state.

We have some good pike fishing in our home state, and it’s largely ignored.

Not only are they overlooked, pike are one of the first fish available when the waters begin to open up in March.

The middle portion of the Allegheny, from the Kinzua outflow down to the East Brady area — over 100 miles of river — plays host to plenty of northerns.

Expect to find pike in the slower, deeper pools. It’s not at all uncommon to catch pike right along with walleyes, even the occasional musky.

The addition of a heavy fluorocarbon leader — one in the 50-pound test range — will help ensure that the toothy critters make it all the way to the boat.

Good access areas along the middle Allegheny can be found near Warren, West Hickory, Tionesta, Oil City, Franklin, Parker and East Brady.

Early in the season anglers should be prepared for ramps will covered with ice and/or snow.

Shore anglers can also enjoy early season pike action by focusing on areas where tributaries join the main river.

Other March options worthy of attention include muskies on Crawford County’s French Creek and trout on Centre County’s Spring Creek.

April Pine Creek Trout

Pennsylvania has a lot of Pine Creeks. Many of them support trout fisheries.

But for most folks the mention of Pine Creek trout fishing means the big brawling creek that tumbles out of Potter County to flow through Tioga and Lycoming counties.

Some of the best action on Pine Creek happens during April and May, before the warming weather of summer chases trout into feeder streams, and “hatches” of raft, kayaks and canoes become more common.

Pine is stocked with trout from the confluence of Genesse Forks in Potter County to the mouth of Little Pine Creek in Lycoming County.

It features two Delayed Harvest — Artificial Lures Only special regulations areas.

The first is in Tioga County, and extends one mile from Darling Run to slightly below the confluence of Owassee Slide Hollow.

The second is in Lycoming County, and runs 1.2 mile from Slate Run downstream to about 150 meters upstream of the mouth of Naval Run.

At the time of this writing the Fish and Boat Commission was considering extending the lower boundary of this special regulations area an additional 1.6 miles to the mouth of Bonnell Run.

Pine Creek offers easy to access at bridge crossings, and more remote fishing for those willing to walk. Pine Creek Trail — a rails-to-trails — provides a good means to do so.

One might also consider largemouth bass fishing on Pinchot Lake and crappies on Shenango Lake.

May Lake Erie/Presque Isle Bay Smallmouth Bass

Lake Erie’s smallmouth bass fishery may not be what it once was, but it’s still one of the top places in the country to catch smallmouth bass, particularly big ones over four pounds.

May is an excellent time to target bronze bass in the Erie area.

The fish will be moving shallow in preparation of the annual spawn. This means fish in the main lake will begin showing up in 10 to 25 foot depths; there will also be an influx of brown bass in the 3,000 plus acres of Presque Isle Bay.

Anglers can access the bay from ramps located within the City of Erie such as the Walnut Street facility.

Out on the peninsula (Presque Isle State Park) Niagara and Marina Bay provide good access.

Also in May, native brook trout will be biting in many of the small streams that flow through the Allegheny National Forest.

The shallows of Raystown Lake will also be teaming with bass.

Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.