Crystal Lake, Pennsylvania: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Crystal Lake belongs to Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. It measures some 516 acres, and wind has room to build across it. The margin runs to about 5.6 miles in total. It ranks high for size among our Luzerne County listings. For supplies, Mountain Top is 2.5 miles out. Beyond it, Georgetown at 4.3 miles and Ashley at 4.3 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Crystal Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Reported across Luzerne County: brown trout, brook trout and largemouth bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Crystal Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 68°F on average, January about 22°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up sits around early April on average, with the water closing again about late December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. That is the shape of the year on Crystal Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Fountain Lake is 2.8 miles distant. Treat Crystal Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.