Fishing Fork Mountain Pond in Wayne County, Pennsylvania

• Overview

  In Pennsylvania, Fork Mountain Pond falls inside Wayne County. Everything around it is rolling bush. With some 31 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. 14 miles away sits Forest City, the nearest town. Then Honesdale, 16 miles, and Waymart, 16 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Fork Mountain Pond

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Wayne County cover yellow perch, bluegill, largemouth bass, brown trout and chain pickerel. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Fork Mountain Pond the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 21°F in January to roughly 67°F in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It holds true on Fork Mountain Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Sly Lake, 2.6 miles away. None of that is settled for Fork Mountain Pond in what we hold.