Fishing Negley Pond in Perry County, Pennsylvania

• Overview

  Pennsylvania holds Negley Pond, in Perry County. The bank gives way to mixed woodland. At 5 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. New Bloomfield at 2.5 miles is the nearest place to stop. The big place round here is Baltimore, 81 miles distant. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end. The character changes with the season more than with the year.

• Where to Fish on Negley Pond

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Reported across Perry County: yellow perch, bluegill and black crappie. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Work Negley Pond in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 73°F in July and bottoms out near 28°F in January. The swings are modest, so patterns change slowly. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Anyone fishing Negley Pond regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Little Buffalo Lake, 4.6 miles out. Where Negley Pond is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.