Fishing

Pennsylvania Wilds

The 1,730-acre reservoir and its 23 miles of shoreline offer excellent warm water fishing. Common fish are crappie, yellow perch, tiger muskellunge, channel catfish and largemouth and smallmouth bass. Sayers Reservoir is a panfish enhancement waterway and special regulations apply. An ADA accessible fishing pier is located at the Summer/Winter Launch in the Main Park Area.

The East Branch of the Clarion River flows through the park and is an excellent fishery. The river is stocked with trout and is home to many cold-water species. A fishing platform behind the pool allows for easy access for children and the elderly.

The lake provides habitat for warm water fishing. Black Moshannon Creek, below the lake, contains trout. Trout anglers can enjoy their sport in several nearby streams including Six Mile and Black Bear runs.

Anglers can fish in the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and its many feeder streams.

The 68-acre Chapman Lake has fishing for cold-water and warm-water fish, including brook and brown trout, largemouth bass, bluegill, sunfish, yellow perch and sucker. ADA accessible fishing piers are on the eastern and western shorelines of Chapman Lake. Within the park and the surrounding Allegheny National Forest there is good trout fishing in the West Branch of Tionesta Creek and Farnsworth Run.

Stocked and native brook trout are found in Clear Creek. The Clarion River has smallmouth bass and many species of panfish and trout. Nearby streams provide good fishing for trout.

Fishing is available to those visitors who wish to make the long, steep hike to the bottom of the canyon to Pine Creek. Species include trout, smallmouth bass and panfish. Nearby trout streams include Marsh Creek, Stoney Fork Creek, Asaph Run, Straight Run and Four-Mile Run, which is along the Turkey Path Trail.

The Clarion River flows along the park border and provides fishing for trout, warm-water game fish and panfish. About 2.5 miles of Tom’s Run is stocked with trout. A special fishing pond stocked with trout is by the park office and is available for use by children 12 and younger and people with a disability. A level grass bank at the edge of the pond provides easy access.

The 1,160-acre East Branch Lake is a cold-water fishery. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission stocks muskellunge, walleye, smallmouth bass, brook, rainbow, brown, and lake trout in the lake. Five Mile, Seven Mile, Straight, Middle Fork and Crooked creeks are all stocked streams. Many smaller streams abound in native brook trout.

The warm waters of the 137-acre Hills Creek Lake provide excellent fishing for warm-water species. Common fish are muskellunge, walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and yellow perch. This lake is on the Bass Masters Tournament Rotation. Largemouth bass weighing over eight pounds have been pulled from the lake.

Hyner Run is excellent trout fishing. Brook and brown trout are stocked annually and native brook trout inhabit its upper reaches. Numerous other mountain streams within a relatively short distance of the park provide excellent trout fishing. The nearby right branch of Young Womans Creek has a fly fishing area.

The 167-acre Kettle Creek Reservoir is noted for its trout and bass fishing. Also found in the lake are brown bullhead, sucker and panfish. The Lower Campground is beside the seven-acre Kettle Creek Lake, a very popular fishing area. Kettle Creek is noted for its excellent water quality that supports a healthy aquatic population. Mine drainage limits the fishing quality below the Lower Campground.

Fishing is available to those visitors who wish to make the long, steep hike to the bottom of the canyon to Pine Creek. Species include trout, smallmouth bass and panfish. Nearby trout streams include Marsh Creek, Stoney Fork Creek, Asaph Run, Straight Run and Four-Mile Run, which is along the Turkey Path Trail.

The 94-acre Little Pine Lake has 3.3 miles of shoreline. There is also 4.2 miles of stream. These warm-water and cold-water fisheries have stocked and native trout (brook, rainbow and brown), smallmouth bass, pickerel, sunfish, catfish and perch. This diversity provides good fly, bank and boat fishing. There is a special regulation, artificial lure only, fishing area along Little Pine Creek in the northeast section of the park.

The 45-acre Lyman Run Lake is noted for its exceptional water quality and provides excellent trout fishing. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission stocks the lake with rainbow and palomino trout throughout the fishing season. Lyman Run from Lyman Lake to West Branch Road is approved trout water and stocked each spring. The upper Lyman Run basin is a wild brook trout enhancement area. From the inflow to Lyman Lake upstream, 5.3-miles of Lyman Run and all its tributaries are excellent for wild brook trout fishing. Anglers should consult the Summary of Fishing Regulations and Laws for current restrictions and creel limits.

The excellent water quality along Kettle Creek provides good fishing. Both Kettle Creek and Ole Bull Run offer fishing for brook, brown and rainbow trout. A special regulation area for children and people with disabilities is located below the dam breast to the fordway. Fishing is prohibited between the wires at the dam basin and swimming area.

Fishing is popular throughout the year. Brook trout are stocked in the spring, fall and winter. Anglers also can catch largemouth bass, sunfish and brown bullhead.

Rauchtown Run and its tributaries provide excellent cold water fishing for native brown and brook trout. Warm water fishing is within easy driving distance and includes the west branch of the Susquehanna River, Bald Eagle Creek and Blanchard Lake.

Fishing in small mountain streams surrounding the park offers sport for those who like to walk and fish in uncrowded streams for native and stocked trout.

The 142-acre George B. Stevenson Reservoir has fishing for cold-water and warm-water species, including brook, rainbow and brown trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass, sunfish, bluegill, pickerel, perch, crappie, catfish and tiger muskellunge. Nearby creeks and runs also provide good angling. Some feeder streams in the park contain native brook trout. There is a delayed harvest-artificial lures only special regulation area from mouth of Baily Run south 2.1 miles on First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek.

Anglers will find that the east and west branches of Cowley Run, which flow through the park, contain brook and brown trout. Cowley Run is a high quality stream offering mountain freestone fishing at its best. It is not unusual to catch native brook trout in these waters. Nearby, the Portage and Driftwood branches of the Sinnemahoning Creek provide anglers with an opportunity to fish for smallmouth bass and trout. All streams receive spring stockings and are under the laws of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

The Susquehanna River has warm water and cold water fishing. Common species are smallmouth bass, panfish and catfish.