Forest Lake near Hawley: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  You will find Forest Lake in Pike County, Pennsylvania. The bank is 1,250 feet above sea level. At about 149 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. About 2.7 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Size puts it in the front rank of our Pike County list. The nearest place of any size is Hawley, 6.9 miles away. Barryville lies 9.4 miles off, Honesdale another 9.9 miles. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Forest Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Survey and observation records for Pike County include yellow perch, brown trout and bluegill. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Forest Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 69°F, with January the cold end at about 23°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early April and starts locking again about late December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. That shapes the year on Forest Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Corilla Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing on Forest Lake should be assumed from this page alone.