Pennsylvania is home to multiple scenic lakes, rivers, and creeks that permit fishing, making it a suitable destination for anglers, locals, and tourists. You can enjoy fishing in Pennsylvania at any time since different sites operate year-round with various fish species available throughout the seasons. Nonetheless, be sure to obtain fishing licenses and check state fishing regulations before heading off to good fishing spots around the state to avoid last-minute inconveniences. Besides fishing, you can tour around Pennsylvania to take in various attractions such as Hershey Park, the artistic Fallingwater architecture in Mill Run, the botanical gardens at Pittsburgh’s Phipps Conservatory, or to learn about history at Eastern State Penitentiary.
Fishing Spots in Pennsylvania
Lake Wallenpaupack
Lake Wallenpaupack, near Tafton in Pike County, is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Pennsylvania, offering a family-friendly destination with six accessible recreation areas. You can drive around 40 minutes from Scranton to the site where you can watch wildlife, walk on trails, or partake in water sports like wakeboarding, jet skiing, and water skiing. Moreover, the lake features outfitters offering boats to enhance your convenience when fishing. You can fish for perch and calico in the lake’s central section, walleye, striped bass, and smallmouth bass at the north end, and largemouth bass and bluegill around the south end.
Raystown Lake
Raystown Lake has multiple amenities that enable fishing and camping in Pennsylvania, making it a perfect location during an exciting RV road trip. You can catch bass, perch, trout, and crappie at this spot. The venue also has different pathways for hiking and mountain biking activities that enable you to exercise while viewing breathtaking natural sceneries.
Lake Erie
You can visit one of the best smallmouth bass fishing venues globally by going to Lake Erie in Erie. In addition, you can find steelhead fly-fishing opportunities in the lake’s northwestern corner, generally occurring from late September to November. Notably, water clarity and flow on streams around the lake heavily depend on the intensity and amount of recent snowmelt or rains. You can also tour the nearby Presque Isle State Park for walks along the beautiful coastline, biking, and hiking.
Allegheny River
Another popular fishing site is the Allegheny River in Roulette, stocking brown trout in Browns Run and Hemlock Run tributaries around the tailwater section below Kinzua Dam. This river is ideal for fly-fishing, and it stocks rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, muskie, and pike. Notably, it has fluctuating water levels that make wading challenging when they rise too high. The site also features playgrounds, a mini-golf course, a volleyball court, and horseshoes to ensure you can partake in family-friendly matches with your loved ones.
Promised Land State Park
Promised Land State Park on the Pocono Plateau sits in Greentown along PA Route 390. You can explore the area using the designated trails and enjoy the magnificent vistas of the surrounding Delaware State Forest. It also has two lakes, Lower Lake and Promised Land Lake, that support fishing in Pennsylvania during every season. You can catch various fish types at this state park, including sunfish, yellow perch, pickerel, catfish, muskellunge, and smallmouth and largemouth bass. In addition, you can also practice ice fishing on the site’s two lakes, providing panfish, pickerel, and bass.
Where to Fish in Pennsylvania
When looking for where to fish in Pennsylvania, the state offers several popular venues conveniently accessible throughout the year. You can enjoy big catches in different regions like Portersville, Conneaut Lake, State College, Wellsboro, and Hawley. Aside from these, you can also visit the Delaware, Youghiogheny, and Allegheny river systems for quality fly-fishing opportunities.
Camping and Fishing in Pennsylvania
You can identify good fishing spots in Pennsylvania and find RV-accessible camping sites that enable you to catch species like walleye, bass, pike, and others by foot or boat, including the Juniata, Susquehanna, Allegheny, and Delaware rivers. Pack your fishing license and a copy of the state fishing regulations as you set off on your voyage; these documents enable you to prepare for the trip appropriately within the state’s provided limits, including bag, legal slot, and other special applied conditions. Be sure to include a tackle box in your backpack containing various tools like lures, sinkers, differently sized hooks, scissors, and a de-hooker.
Additionally, you want to carry a first-aid kit with bandages, aspirin, tweezers, non-latex gloves, and gauze pads. It’s also generally advisable to include a packet of seasickness pills if your visit includes an offshore fishing voyage. You can take one dose the night preceding your trip and the second pill in the morning before you depart. Fishing spots can get chilly in the morning and evenings, so you want to bring layers of clothes that you can gradually remove as the day progresses. If you’re traveling to remote fishing and camping Pennsylvania areas, carrying a GPS device ensures you can safely navigate your way back to your campsite. Moreover, pack your fishing reels and rods, fishing line, cooking utensils, freezer storage for your catch, and a life jacket for each person going on the fishing journey.
Pennsylvania’s climate and geographical landscape support numerous fishing areas such as creeks, rivers, and lakes, providing multiple opportunities for experienced and first-time anglers. Whether you seek a new challenge via specialized fishing types or quality family time outdoors, you can enjoy an exciting and productive fishing trip on the different water bodies in Pennsylvania. Before you head out on your trip, check out our blog for all you need to know about fishing.
With an RV rental, your fishing trip will be a little more comfortable! After you’ve spent a long day fishing, grill up your catch right at your campsite. Then, retire inside to enjoy all the comforts of home on board your RV. Plan your perfect fishing gateway with an RV rental from RVshare.
