Hempstead Lake Fishing in Wayne County, Pennsylvania

• Overview

  Set in Wayne County, Hempstead Lake is a Pennsylvania water. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. It measures about 40 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Around 1.1 miles of margin, front to back. Deposit is the closest town at 11 miles. After that come Susquehanna at 14 miles and Forest City at 20 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Hempstead Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Wayne County include yellow perch, bluegill, largemouth bass and brown trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Anyone new to Hempstead Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 21°F to 67°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at mid December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. That shapes the year on Hempstead Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. 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. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Starlight Lake, 0.7 miles out. The position on Hempstead Lake is worth confirming on the day.