Fishing at Big Bass Lake, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania

• Overview

  Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, is where Big Bass Lake sits. The surface lies 1,847 feet up. It measures about 89 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. There is roughly 1.5 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Few waters listed in Lackawanna County are bigger. Big Bass Lake lies 0.8 miles from the water. Moscow is 5.8 miles and Pocono Pines 10 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Big Bass Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Reported across Lackawanna County: brown trout, bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass and brown bullhead. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Big Bass Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 66°F, while January sits near 21°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at mid December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Big Bass Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. There is a pier recorded roughly half a mile away. A toilet block sits half a mile away. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Westend Pond, 1.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Big Bass Lake may have changed since it was mapped.