Otter Lake Fishing near Parkside, Pennsylvania

• Overview

  Set in Monroe County, Otter Lake is a Pennsylvania water. The bank is 1,152 feet above sea level. With some 55 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Bank access stretches around 1.2 miles in total. On our Monroe County list it sits near the top for size. Head to Parkside, 5.7 miles away, for anything you forgot. Saw Creek is 5.8 miles away, with Canadensis at 6 miles. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Otter Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Records held for Monroe County cover brown trout, brook trout, bluegill, largemouth bass and chain pickerel. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Otter Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 69°F and January about 24°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late March. Ice usually gives way near late March, and forms again about late December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Otter Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is a campsite 160 yards from the water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Camp William Penn Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. The position on Otter Lake is worth confirming on the day.