Fishing in Pennsylvania
Lakes, trout streams, big rivers and Lake Erie across all 67 counties, with PFBC limits.
Search a town, county, lake or bait shop
- 290lakes
- 1,163streams
- 544shore sites
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Presque Isle State Park: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
Pennsylvania lakes, trout streams, big rivers and Lake Erie
Pennsylvania fishing runs from the Lake Erie shore and Presque Isle Bay in the northwest to the tidal Delaware in Philadelphia. Between them sit Corps reservoirs such as Raystown Lake and the Allegheny Reservoir, the Susquehanna, Juniata, Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, and thousands of miles of limestone and freestone trout water under the PFBC wild trout and stocking programs.
This guide holds 290 lake pages, 1,163 river and stream pages, 655 boat ramp pages, 544 shore fishing sites, 381 bait shops and marinas, all 67 counties and 777 towns, each with the 2026 Summary limits for its water.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 The largest Pennsylvania lakes and reservoirs
Pymatuning Reservoir
13,920 acres, Crawford County
Lake pageAllegheny Reservoir
12,081 acres, Warren County
Lake pageRaystown Lake
8,297 acres, Huntingdon County
Lake pageLake Wallenpaupack
5,698 acres, Pennsylvania
Lake pageShenango River Lake
3,559 acres, Mercer County
Lake pageLake Arthur
3,224 acres, Butler County
Lake pageYoughiogheny River Lake
2,840 acres, Fayette County
Lake pageLake Wilhelm
1,739 acres, Mercer County
Lake pagePennsylvania rivers with the most miles
- Allegheny River262 mi in Pennsylvania, Potter County and 7 other counties
- West Branch Susquehanna River243 mi in Pennsylvania, Cambria County and 4 other counties
- Delaware River201 mi in Pennsylvania, Northampton County and 3 other counties
- North Branch Susquehanna River188 mi in Pennsylvania, Bradford County and 4 other counties
- Schuylkill River136 mi in Pennsylvania, Schuylkill County and 4 other counties
- Susquehanna River112 mi in Pennsylvania, Dauphin County and 2 other counties
- Juniata River104 mi in Pennsylvania, Huntingdon County and 3 other counties
- Lehigh River103 mi in Pennsylvania, Monroe County and 5 other counties
- Monongahela River92 mi in Pennsylvania, Allegheny County and 3 other counties
- Clarion River92 mi in Pennsylvania, Jefferson County and 2 other counties
Lengths: PFBC Fisheries_AllSections section miles, Pennsylvania portion only.
Pennsylvania on Lake Erie
- Lake Eriewalleye, perch and smallmouth from the Erie County shore
- Presque Isle Baythe sheltered bay inside Presque Isle
- Steelhead streamsthe Erie tributaries, access areas and easements
- Lake Erie ruleslake, bay and tributary limits and the permit
Keystone fishing pages grouped by lakes, streams and places
- Lakes290 lakes
- Rivers and streams1,163 rivers and creeks
- Trout streamsClass A, wilderness and stocked water
- Shore fishingPFBC fishing-only access
- Countiesall 67
- Towns777 towns
- Species40 species
- Tournamentsorganizer schedules and winners
Pennsylvania season openers, 2026 and 2027
| Species | Water | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trout (all species) | Commonwealth inland waters (statewide) | 2026-04-04 8 a.m. | April 3, 2027 |
| Walleye, saugeye and sauger | Commonwealth inland waters | 2026-05-02 | May 1, 2027 |
| Bass (harvest) | Commonwealth inland waters | 2026-06-13 | June 12, 2027 |
| Trout extended season | Commonwealth inland waters | 2026-09-08 | September 7, 2027 |
2026 Pennsylvania Fishing Summary (PA Fish and Boat Commission; in effect or proposed as of October 1, 2025, PDF revised February 27, 2026), page 10, 41. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
The PFBC plans to stock 3,190,100 adult trout in 2026: 2,368,045 rainbows, 697,180 browns and 124,875 brook trout.
Pennsylvania rules, licenses and gauges
- Pennsylvania waters A to Zevery lake, stream, county and town page
- Pennsylvania record fishPFBC records by weight
- Pennsylvania lake and river levelsUSGS gauges, three Corps districts and NOAA Erie
- Pennsylvania trout streamsClass A, wilderness, Keystone Select and stocked water
- Lake Erie, Pennsylvaniathe Erie shoreline, Presque Isle Bay and steelhead streams
- Pennsylvania guides and chartersPFBC-permitted guide and charter businesses
- Pennsylvania trout stockingthe 2026 PFBC stocking schedule
- Pennsylvania shore fishingfishing-only access areas and piers
- Pennsylvania boat launchesPFBC, park and local ramps
- Pennsylvania bait shopsshops by PFBC region
- Pennsylvania license and regulationslicense, permits, seasons and limits
- Fish-for-Free Daystwo license-free days a year
- Pennsylvania tournamentsorganizer schedules and printed winners
Pennsylvania fishing questions
What license do I need to fish in Pennsylvania?
Anyone 16 or older needs a Pennsylvania fishing license: $27.97 for residents, $60.97 for nonresidents and $14.47 for resident seniors, fees included. Trout need a trout permit and Lake Erie needs a Lake Erie permit.
Which Pennsylvania lake is the biggest?
Pymatuning Reservoir, at 13,920 acres in the PFBC lake layer.
When does trout season open in Pennsylvania?
2026-04-04 8 a.m. statewide in 2026; the 2027 opener is April 3, 2027.
How many trout streams have pages here?
1,088 streams with Class A, wild, stocked, wilderness or Keystone Select water.
Which state agency writes the Pennsylvania fishing rules?
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC).
Where are Pennsylvania tournaments listed?
On the tournaments page, from organizer schedules and printed results; the PFBC publishes no permit calendar.
Does the Commonwealth hold Fish-for-Free Days?
Two Fish-for-Free Days a year, May 24 and July 4 in 2026, with no license or permit needed.
Can I fish Lake Erie from Pennsylvania?
Yes, from Erie County ramps, piers and Presque Isle; a Lake Erie permit is needed with the license.