Swiftwater Lake Fishing Guide, Monroe County, Pennsylvania

• Overview

  You will find Swiftwater Lake in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. The water sits 856 feet up. At 19 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The nearest town is Parkside, 1.4 miles away. Cresco is 3.9 miles and Tannersville 4.2 miles. Also worth knowing: Lake Crawford 1.1 miles away, Alpine Lake lies 1.4 miles on, Freeland Pond 1.7 miles away, Leisure Lake lies 3 miles on and Highwood Lake 3 miles away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Swiftwater Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Survey and observation records for Monroe County include brown trout, brook trout, bluegill, largemouth bass and chain pickerel. The county list is broader than any single water. Work Swiftwater Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 69°F and January about 24°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Count the season from break-up, usually late March. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near late December: that is the shape of an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Expect Swiftwater Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Swiftwater Forest Preserve covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Lake Crawford at 1.1 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Swiftwater Lake before loading the car.