Pennsylvania's lakes freeze over every winter, providing anglers with a new set of challenges. Frigid temperatures and finicky fish keep some fishermen away until spring, but the potential rewards bring dedicated anglers out onto the ice. Fishing is a way to keep active and enjoy the outdoors during the winter, and the fish you catch will make a nutritious meal.
Places to Fish
Pennsylvania is home to thousands of lakes, ponds and reservoirs. According to the Pennsylvania Angler & Boater magazine, Tuscarora Lake, Lake Nockamixon and Beltzville Lake are productive fishing grounds in winter, as are Lake Marbug, Allegheny Reservoir and High Point Lake. Pymatuning Reservoir and Presque Isle Bay are also top spots.
Fish Species
You can catch most freshwater fish in winter, but some are more common and easier to catch than others. Fishermen most often catch panfish such as bluegill, perch and crappie through the ice, along with pike, pickerel and walleye. You may also catch trout through the ice. Ice fishermen sometimes bring bass up, but bass become highly inactive during winter.
Fishing Tips
Ice fishermen use small, subtle lures or live bait. Teardrop jigs and other small jigs are typical lures, and can be tipped with a wax worm or other larvae, or a small soft plastic bait. Jigging spoons and slightly larger jigs catch walleye, pike and trout, but use 1/16 to 1/32 jigs for panfish. Live minnows also catch fish; 1- or 2-inch minnows work for perch and crappie, and 3-inch or larger minnows and suckers tempt pike and walleye. Fish around drop-offs and areas with access to both shallow and deep water. Places where green vegetation survives year-round often attract fish in winter.
Safety
Wait until safe ice forms before you go ice fishing; 4 inches is the minimum recommended thickness for a small group of anglers, and this is usually available by early January in Pennsylvania. Never go ice fishing alone, and always let someone back on land know where you are going. Take a cell phone, warm clothes and boots with you.
Licenses
You need to have a Pennsylvania fishing license to ice fish anywhere in the state. Licenses are valid from December 1 to December 31 the following year. Purchase your license at a bait shop or sporting goods store across the state, or order it through the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission website.
Equipment
Bring pliers, a bucket and a ruler to measure fish. An auger will make grilling through the ice easier, and a cup or pan will help you scoop ice out of the hole without getting wet. Also bring a sled or wagon to carry all your gear. You'll also want some kind of shelters; winds really howl along the unbroken surface of a Pennsylvania lake in January.
References
- Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission: Pennsylvania Angler & Boater Magazine Jan-Feb 2006
- Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources: Ice Fishing
- Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission: Ice / Winter Fishing
- Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission: 2010 Pennsylvania Fishing Laws & Regulations
- Game & Fish: Pennsylvania Ice Fishing
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