Fiddle Lake in Susquehanna County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Susquehanna County end of Pennsylvania holds Fiddle Lake. It lies 1,998 feet above sea level. With some 63 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 1.2 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Few waters listed in Susquehanna County are bigger. Forest City sits 9.9 miles from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Allentown, 81 miles distant. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Fiddle Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Susquehanna County records list brown trout, brook trout, smallmouth bass and yellow perch among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Fiddle Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 66°F, with January the cold end at about 20°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early April until roughly mid December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On Fiddle Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Parking sits 0.9 miles out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Hathaway Lake at 1.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Fiddle Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.