Clear Lake in Crawford County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Crawford County end of Pennsylvania holds Clear Lake. Around the bank it is pine and birch. At about 126 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Shoreline comes to about 2.3 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Nearest place of any size is Corry, 6.5 miles away. Union City lies 9.3 miles off, Clymer another 13 miles. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Clear Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Crawford County records list common carp, largemouth bass, brown bullhead, walleye and black crappie among the fish reported. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Clear Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 68°F at the top of summer and 23°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly mid December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan around that when you fish Clear Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Lake Canadohta sits 7.8 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Clear Lake as something to verify.