Lake Maskenozha, Pennsylvania: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lake Maskenozha sits within Pike County in Pennsylvania. Height above sea level is 1,207 feet. The water covers some 193 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The shoreline runs about 3.2 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Size puts it in the front rank of our Pike County list. Supplies mean a trip to Pocono Ranch Lands, 2.4 miles off. Pine Ridge lies 2.9 miles off, Birchwood Lakes another 5.8 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Lake Maskenozha

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Fish documented in Pike County include yellow perch, brown trout and bluegill. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Lake Maskenozha fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 69°F and January near 24°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Once it clears, about late March, the fishing comes on quickly. Ice usually gives way near late March, and forms again about late December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Lake Maskenozha that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Lehman Lake is 0.9 miles distant. Check the current arrangement for Lake Maskenozha.