7 hidden-gem fishing holes across Pennsylvania
These tucked-away fishing sites in Pennsylvania boast scenic beauty and plenty of bites.
There’s nothing quite like a fishing hole that stays under the radar. Tucked into scenic and more rural corners of Pennsylvania, these spots offer natural beauty and few crowds, free from the noise and competition that can threaten your peace—and your catch.
We’ve put together a list of seven lesser-known fishing destinations in the state that are just waiting to draw your attention. You’ll find most in more remote locations, especially north-central and central Pennsylvania, but we’ve tried to include a couple spots closer to the big cities, too.
Whether you’re a serious catch-and-release fly fisher or simply looking for a tranquil afternoon by the water, these hidden gems are worth a visit.
Little Pine State Park – Cummings Township (Lycoming County)
Located in the region known as the Pennsylvania Wilds, Little Pine State Park is a beautiful and scenic park in north-central Pennsylvania. In the middle of the remote Tiadaghton State Forest, the state park beckons for fishing in both the 45-acre Little Pine Lake and the park’s 4 miles of Little Pine Creek—a tributary of Pine Creek. As such, fly fishers, boat fishers, and bank fishers will appreciate the warm and cold water fishing available at the park.
The lake and creek are stocked with rainbow trout and brown trout, and are also home to the native brook trout. Other species you may find in the waters, according to the park, include smallmouth bass, pickerel, sunfish, catfish, and perch. There’s also a special area of the creek that’s meant for catch-and-release fishing with artificial lures; you can find it past the northeastern border of the park to Little Pine Creek Road Bridge, stretching into the park where the creek meets the lake.
Moshannon State Forest – Clearfield, Centre, and Elk Counties
Both cold and warm water fishing are available at several creeks, including Mix Run, Mosquito Creek, and Laurel Run, within the Moshannon State Forest, which is located primarily in Clearfield, Centre, and Elk Counties.
Another area in the state forest that is worth a visit is Shaggers Inn Shallow Water Impoundment, which is stocked with trout each year in early April. There’s also an ADA-compliant fishing pier just 200 yards from the impoundment’s main parking area. Besides the fishing opportunities, the pier offers a lovely view of the surrounding pond. Shaggers Inn can be found in Lawrence Township in Clearfield County.
Foxburg and the Allegheny River Trail – Clarion County
Foxburg, home to the American Golf Hall of Fame at Foxburg Country Club, is a small resort town you might assume would attract too many fishing tourists. But perhaps many of the fishers have gone golfing, because Foxburg still offers quiet and secluded fishing opportunities.
While you could join guided fishing trips, we think readers of this article may prefer to find their own places to cast. Foxburg is located along the Allegheny River Trail, where you can fish for musky, walleye, and smallmouth bass. In fact, you could even strap your fishing gear to a bike and ride the 30-mile trail to find the most isolated fishing site.
Promised Land Lake – Greentown (Pike County)
If you’ve been searching for the Promised Land, good news—Promised Land Lake is a 422-acre highlight of Promised Land State Park, located in Pike County within the Pocono Mountains. The lake offers year-round fishing and is home to species such as largemouth and smallmouth bass, pickerel, musky, yellow perch, sunfish, and catfish.
You don’t have to merely fish on the banks of the lake—you can take a canoe or rowboat out into the water to ensure that you’re far from noise and others. If you don’t have a boat, you can rent one during the summer at a boat rental adjacent to the lake.
East Branch Clarion River Lake – Jones Township (Elk County)
Locals love the fishing at East Branch Clarion River Lake, a reservoir constructed and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Located within Elk State Park and near Elk State Forest, the 1,160-acre East Branch Clarion River Lake is one of the few areas in the state where you can fish for native lake trout.
It’s also home to walleye, smallmouth bass, and musky, and you can even take advantage of unlimited horsepower boating. However, the water is clear, so you must be careful and quiet to avoid scaring the fish. The lake is also the site of a delayed harvest area, below the river’s dam, for catch-and-release fishers. And if you’re up for it, you can even go ice fishing in the winter.
Monocacy Creek – Bethlehem (Northampton County)
Monocacy Creek is in southeastern Pennsylvania, not too far from Philadelphia. It may not be in a rural area like most of the fishing holes on our list, but it does offer quality fishing and charming scenery.
Monocacy Creek, which flows through Bethlehem to meet the Lehigh River, is a limestone creek that supports a substantial population of wild brown trout. There is even a section designated as Class A Wild Trout Waters, according to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Sustained conservation efforts by organizations such as the Monocacy Watershed Association have ensured that the wild trout thrive and that the creek remains a gem for area fishers.
Meadow Run – Ohiopyle (Fayette County)
Located in the scenic Laurel Highlands and roughly an hour and a half from Pittsburgh, Meadow Run is part of the Laurel Highlands Trout Trail—but that doesn’t mean the stream gets crowded.
Meadow Run is in beautiful Ohiopyle State Park, but fishers need to walk a bit to get to its waters, which are stocked with large trout. Taking the Cascades Trail and Meadow Run Loop Trail will lead you to the 2.2-mile section of Meadow Run that is designated for catch-and-release fishing during most of the year (also known as delayed harvest, artificial lures only—DHALO). This section of the small stream runs between Dinnerbell Road and the mouth of the Youghiogheny River.
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