Chestnut Lake Fishing near Honesdale, Pennsylvania

• Overview

  You will find Chestnut Lake in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The bank is 1,302 feet above sea level. With some 31 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With about 1.3 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Nearest town is Honesdale, 5.7 miles off. Then Hawley, 9.6 miles, and Waymart, 13 miles. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Chestnut Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Records held for Wayne County cover yellow perch, bluegill, largemouth bass and brown trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Chestnut Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 68°F on average, January about 22°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early April. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near mid December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Time your trip to Chestnut Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Mapping shows a jetty some 130 yards off. Mapping shows a picnic spot within half a mile. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Williams Pond sits 3 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Chestnut Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.