Top 10 Fishing Destinations in Pennsylvania

If you are planning a Pennsylvania fishing trip, get ready to haul in a wide variety of trout, bluegill, largemouth bass, perch, black crappies, brown bullhead, golden shiners, catfish and sunfish. Undoubtedly, Pennsylvania boasts an abundance of lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and streams, and is capable of gratifying millions of enthusiastic anglers that want to make the most out of the big catches each year!

The fishing potential in Pennsylvania is incomparable. There is more flowing water in Pennsylvania than any other state besides Alaska, and 15,000 miles are labeled as wild trout fisheries. Pennsylvania is home to more than 4,000 fishing lakes and ponds encompassing 160,000 acres. The finest places to go fishing in Pennsylvania range from catching native brook trout in small mountain streams, to landing huge catfish in big rivers or hooking up with largemouth bass in many and varied lakes.

If you are an explorer or already an experienced player in the fishing game, you can make the most out of your long-awaited fishing spree with our Pennsylvania fishing guide. It's a great break from the grind, as the vibrant, scenic views around these fishing lakes are quite soothing and appealing.

Types of Catch Available

Freshwater

Chinook Salmon

Pink Salmon

Coho Salmon

Brown Trout

Rainbow Trout

Steelhead Trout

Brook Trout

Largemouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass

Striped Bass

White Bass

Muskie

Carp

Crappie

Yellow Perch

Walleye

Bullhead Catfish

Bluegill

State Fishing Records

Top 10 Fishing Spots Across Pennsylvania

Get ready to have a lifetime memorable fishing experiences in the below-listed fishing spots. With a bunch of great options that Pennsylvania has in store for you, it is safe to say that you will not be disappointed – whether you’re an experienced player in the game, or a novice trying your luck!

Slippery Rock Creek

Connecting to the town of Portersville, the Slippery Rock Creek is crowned for its trout fishing which offers you a peaceful spot which you can enjoy in solitude. McConnell's Mill State Park also provides some expansive green spaces, and the great news is that fishing is allowed anywhere in the park! Hiking paths, along with abundant access to the water supply enhances the overall fishing experience!

Pennsylvania Wilds

Pennsylvania Wilds

in the west branch of the Susquehanna River, which connects to the town of Clearfield. Get ready to haul in a wide variety of Trout, Smallmouth Bass, and White Crappie. It’s the only portion which stocks trout by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Wading into the boulder-strewn waters while compelling the best chances to wrestle a big trophy fish is surely enough to gear up your experience!

Allegheny River

fishing the allegheney river pennsylvania

Allegheny River

The nearby towns that connect to Allegheny River include: Foxburg, East Brady and West Hickory. The variety of fish available are: Muskellunge, Walleye, Catfish, Pike, Bass, and Trout. It is also known that Giant Muskie swim through some portions of the Allegheny River. Utilize the best out of your time, and cast your bait in Foxburg, East Brady and West Hickory.

Hills Creek Lake

Located right next to the town of Wellsboro, Hills Creek Lake is rich in the supply of Muskellunge, Walleye, Largemouth Bass, Carp, Yellow Perch, and Catfish. This 137-acre water body in Tioga County fills up with warm-water fish, which includes largemouth bass, which can often weigh up to eight pounds. Also, several fishing docks and boat launches are available which can gear up your fishing trip!

Laurel Highlands

The adjoining towns to Laurel Highlands are Ohiopyle, Connellsville, Donegal, Ligonier, and Meyersdale. Trout is the best catch in this fishing lake. The trout trail of the Laurel Highlands encompasses 70 miles of bountiful trout streams in southwestern Pennsylvania. These were established via partnerships with state parks, local businesses, and Trout Unlimited, which serves as a cold water conservation organization. You can drop a line in one of the trail’s streams and make the most out of a trout-fishing event at least once a year!

Susquehanna Valleys

Hook Northern Pike, Channel Bullhead Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Walleye, Crappie, and Tiger Muskellunge here. The populations are backed up by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission. Lake Chillisquaque’s waters are a great deal when it comes to offering an excellent variety of potential pole-bending catches. Live bait is usually recommended by local anglers, such as: minnows, nightcrawlers, and crawfish

Pocono Mountains

The towns of the Pocono Mountains are Hawley and Lakeville. Look for: Northern Pike, Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Walleye, Muskellunge, Catfish, Rainbow Trout, and Brown Trout. Enthusiastic anglers can head over to the Visitor Center’s fishing tackle loaner program which allows anglers to borrow reels, rods and tackle boxes to use in the area. Make the most of this spot as the diversity and amenities which this spot offers is quite extensive.

Upper Delaware River

The Upper Delaware River offers a great variety of fish, including: Black Largemouth, Trout, Smallmouth Bass, American Shad, Walleye, Striped Bass, Muskellunge and American Eel. The Upper Delaware River is popularly known to be a Pocono Mountains gem and is a part of the Wild and Scenic River system. Its shallow, weedy waters hold muskellunge, while walleye are found in deeper holes. Late spring, early summer and fall are known to be ideal for some of the best trout fishing!

Great Lakes

While we discuss the greatest spots in Pennsylvania that await your arrival for a wholesome fishing experience, Pennsylvania’s Great Lakes Region deserves to be mentioned due to its great significance. Lake Erie and Conneaut Lake are known for rewarding persistent fishermen with bluegill, Largemouth bass, and crappie. Similarly, Conneaut Lake is known for its sapphire waters in which anglers have surprisingly reported bagging trophy-fish upwards of 40-pounds.

Pittsburgh Countryside

Pittsburgh Countryside

Located near the town of Portersville, Pittsburgh and its countryside offer you some of the best catches which include: Largemouth Bass, Pike, Muskellunge, Channel Catfish, Hybrid Striped Bass, Panfish, Walleye, and Perch. The enthusiastic anglers hook up jumbo-sized walleye, perch and largemouth bass at Lake Arthur which stretches over a land mass of 3,225 acres and offers a warm-water fishery with 17 boat launches. Some of the best Pennsylvania fishing is accessible on the lake’s 40 miles of shoreline, but at the same time, you can also make use of the boat rentals available.

Brown Trout

Appearance

Brown trout vary greatly in appearance, but are generally olive green to brown on top, shading to a creamy, golden yellow on the sides and an off- white along the belly. Most brown trout are covered with black spots along their sides, back, and dorsal fin with each spot surrounded by a light halo. Frequently, the spots near the lateral line are red. Unlike other trout species, brown trout tails have few if any spots.

Habitat

Brown trout occupy a range of aquatic systems and habitats from Coldwater mountain streams to larger rivers, ponds and lakes.

Diet

Brown trout feed on several animal prey species, aquatic invertebrates being the most abundant prey items. However, brown trout also feed on other prey such as land-based invertebrates (e.g. Hymenoptera) or other fish. Moreover, in brown trout, as in many other fish species, a change in the diet composition normally occurs during the life of the fish, and piscivorous behavior is most frequent in large brown trout.

Fishing for Brown Trout

Fishing for brook trout with a Bubble Fly or Bubble Bait rig is a great way to catch brook trout. The Bubble allows for easy casting or float and release to get to the hard bends and deep pools. Using a spinning reel or fly rod the bubble can help get to the fish. For lake fishing the Bubble works great with a nightcrawler and letting the bubble troll the bait for you using water current or wind.

Top 5 Bubble Fly Combos for Brown Trout

Ant, Cricket, Hopper, Adams Parachute, Wullf Royal

Top 5 Bubble Bait Combos for Brown Trout

Nightcrawler, Wax Worms , Corn, Power Bait, Salmon Eggs

Bubble Fly Challenge Games for Brown Trout

Panfish & Trout

Rainbow Trout

Appearance

Rainbow trout are a North American game fish that get their name from the beautiful colors that shine on their skin. Coloration of the fish varies widely in relationship to sex, habitat, and maturity. Colors on the back of the fish can range from brown to olive to dark blue. Fish have a pinkish stripe/band running the length of their bodies, with a silvery underside that fades to pearl white. They have small black spots on their backs, fins, and tail. Average mature fish are around 16 inches long and weigh between 2 and 8 pounds. (The largest rainbow ever caught, however, was in Canada and weighed 48 pounds.)

Habitat

Rainbow trout can easily adapt to various aquatic habitats and environments. They prefer cool freshwater streams with gravel bottoms and natural cover, such as downed trees and boulders. These fish prefer water temperatures of 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but can tolerate temperatures that vary from 32 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Diet

Rainbow trout are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything from aquatic and terrestrial insects, to fish eggs, to small minnows, to crustaceans and worms.

Fishing for Rainbow Trout

Fishing for Rainbow Trout with a Bubble Fly or Bubble Bait rig is a great way to catch trout. The Bubble allows for easy casting or float and release to get to the hard bends and deep pools. Using a spinning reel or fly rod the bubble can help get to the fish. For lake fishing the Bubble works great trolling a nightcrawler with the current or wind.

Top 5 Bubble Fly Combos for Brook Trout

Ant, Cricket, Hopper, Adams Parachute, Wullf Royal

Top 5 Bubble Bait Combos for Brook Trout

Nightcrawler, Wax Worms , Corn, Power Bait, Salmon Eggs

Bubble Fly Challenge Games for Rainbow Trout

Panfish & Trout

Species	Weight	Location	Angler	Date
American Shad	9 lbs 9 oz	Delaware River	Anthony Mecca	1986
Atlantic Salmon	17 lbs 2 oz	Raystown Lake	Brian Keller	2001
Bluegill Sunfish	2 lbs 9 oz	Keystone Lake	Tom Twincheck	1983
Brook Trout	7 lbs 0 oz	Fishing Creek	Vonada Ranck	1996
Brown Trout	19 lbs 10 oz	Walnut Creek	Fazle Buljubasic	2000
Bullhead	4 lbs 10 oz	Beltzville Lake	Ian C. Radle	2011
Carp	52 lbs 0 oz	Juniata River	George Brown	1962
Chain Pickerel	8 lbs 14.8 oz	Long Pond	Dave Wilson	2002
Channel Catfish	35 lbs 2.5 oz	Lehigh Canal	Austin E. Roth III	1991
Chinook (King) Salmon	28 lbs 15 oz	Lake Erie	Gregory Lasko	1990
Coho Salmon	15 lbs 5 oz	Lake Erie	Jack Scheirer	1985
Crappie	4 lbs 2.88 oz	Hammond Lake	Richard A. Pino	2000
Flathead Catfish	48 lbs 6 oz	Blue Marsh Spillway	James R. Shabrach, Jr.	2007
Freshwater Drum	19 lbs 14 oz	Monongahela River	Tim Rogers	1994
Lake Trout	29 lbs 4 oz	Lake Erie	Todd Young	2012
Largemouth Bass	11 lbs 3 oz	Birch Run Reservoir	Donald Shade	1983
Muskellunge	54 lbs 3 oz	Conneaut Lake	Lewis Walker Jr.	1924
Northern Pike	35 lbs	Allegheny Reservoir	Carl Stoltz	2003
Palomino Trout	11 lbs 10 oz	Lake Erie	R.W. Hafer	1986
Pink (Humpback) Salmon	4 lbs 8 oz	Elk Creek	David A. Rabatin	1995
Rainbow Trout	15 lbs 6.25 oz	Jordan Creek	Dennis L. Clouse	1986
Rock Bass	3 lbs 2 oz	Elk Creek	David L. Weber	1971
Sauger	4 lbs 0 oz	Susquehanna River	Tim Waltz	2001
Smallmouth Bass	8 lbs 8 oz	Scotts Run Lake	Robert T. Steelman	1997
Steelhead	20 lbs 3 oz	Walnut Creek	Corey T. Brown	2001
Striped Bass	53 lbs 13 oz	Delaware River	Donald J. Clark	1989
Sucker	12 lbs 9 oz	Allegheny River	Troy A. Bemis	1995
Walleye	17 lbs 9 oz	Allegheny River	Mike Holly	1980
White Bass	3 lbs 14 oz	Conneaut Lake	David F. Hornstein	1996
White Perch	1 lbs 12 oz	Delaware River	James Clark	2008
Yellow Perch	2 lbs 11 oz	Presque Isle Bay	Jeffrey Matts	2010

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Types of Catch Available

Slippery Rock Creek

Pennsylvania Wilds

Allegheny River

Hills Creek Lake

Laurel Highlands

Susquehanna Valleys

Pocono Mountains

Upper Delaware River

Great Lakes

Pittsburgh Countryside

Rainbow Trout

Appearance

Habitat

Diet