Bear Creek Lake, Pennsylvania: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, sits Bear Creek Lake. Height above sea level is 1,535 feet. Around 78 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The bank runs about 1.6 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Mountain Top is the closest town at 6.5 miles. It is 42 miles to Allentown, the nearest city. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Bear Creek Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. County-wide records name brown trout, brook trout, largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegill. The county list is broader than any single water. Anyone new to Bear Creek Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 68°F and January reads 22°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about late December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Bear Creek Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Crystal Lake, 4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Bear Creek Lake may have changed since it was mapped.