Sly Lake Fishing near Forest City, Pennsylvania

• Overview

  Sly Lake is a Wayne County water, in Pennsylvania. The water sits 1,512 feet up. Roughly 57 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The edge runs 1.1 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. For supplies, Forest City is 14 miles out. After that come Susquehanna at 16 miles and Deposit at 17 miles. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Sly Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Wayne County, recorded fish include yellow perch, bluegill, largemouth bass and brown trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Take Sly Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 20°F in January to roughly 66°F in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. The water is typically free of ice between early April and mid December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That shapes the year on Sly Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Underwood Lake, 1.9 miles out. Where Sly Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.