JG: I'm a little confused, but I'd like to be able to help you if I can.
You mention "boat requirements", but then you say your interest is in the stream, not the lake.
The stream is characterized by long shallow runs over shale interspersed with occasional deeper pools which are interspersed with seemingly interminable long shallow flats that this time of year will probably average about 9" deep. It isn't "boatable" in any definition of the word I'm familiar with.
As Dave noted, you can launch a boat out of Elk Creek Access into the Lake. But that doesn't seem to be what you plan to do.
So, here is a quick look at the flowing water smallmouth opportunities in the area. I'll limit it to Erie County and the northern half of Crawford County:
As dave noted, Conneaut Creek is a pretty good smallmouth fishery in the lower 7 or 8 miles of its section in PA. Then it enters Ohio and I know nothing about that water. But there are lots of bass from the first bridge above where the creek crosses US 6 down to the state line and this water is easily waded. Above this section, Conneaut Creek is mostly a deep trench though all the way up to Albion at least.
The best bass stream in the area by far is French Creek. I haven't lived in the area in a while, so I can't help with access very much. But as far as I know, most of the bridge crossings on the creek remain open to anglers who are curteous and don't leave a trail of litter.
The bass fishing in French Creek is good all the way from the junction of the branches at Wattsburg down to Meadville. Actually, it's good all the way to the mouth at Franklin, but I'm only talking about the northern half of the drainage here. There is generally good public access (as well as some of the best bass habitat in the creek) in the section that roughly parallels US19 from Venango down to Meadville. Generally... This section includes a PFBC access at the south end of Saegertown.
The Erie County section (from Wattsburg down to the approx vicinity of the junctions of US6 and US19 south of Waterford) is a little more iffy access wise, but still fairly open I believe.
The only section of French Creek not really worth exploring for bass is the stretch that brackets Cambridge Springs in northern Crawford County. It's a long slow trench and is good walleye, pike , musky and snapping turtle water. As noted before, there are smallmouth in the upstream portions of Elk Creek, but they generally run pretty, no make that very, small. Even smaller than the normal size distribution in a creek bass population. Additionally, it can be a long, long way between fishable pools, especially this time of year.
Hope this helps...
