Kaufman Reservoir, Pennsylvania: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Schuylkill County end of Pennsylvania holds Kaufman Reservoir. It sits in rolling bush. It covers about 17 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Frackville lies 1.5 miles from the water. Allentown sits 40 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Kaufman Reservoir

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Schuylkill County records list brown trout, brook trout, bluegill, largemouth bass and pumpkinseed among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Work Kaufman Reservoir in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 70°F at the top of summer and 24°F at the bottom of winter. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late March. Climate figures give an open season running late March to late December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on Kaufman Reservoir more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Tar Run Reservoir, 0.6 miles out. Treat access at Kaufman Reservoir as something to verify.