Beltzville State Park, PA

[zdunham]

Has anyone fished Beltzville lake this year since the spawn? I was just there recently and mostly just caught huge pickeral, could not find a bass for anything. Whoever has fished here please share some techniques/depths/anything on where the bass are, small or large mouth. This is one deep lake and I'm not used to fishing a lake where it is 20ft deep 10 feet off shore.

[Justin0530]

Thats my home lake. Fish there about 3 times a week. Its tough, and different every week so its hard to say. I was just there yesterday, Sunday and got skunked. I think the fish are suspended after all those wicked rains.

[zdunham]

What depth would you normally fish during a nice, normal weather period? Largies or Smallies.

[Justin0530]

sunday they were suspended....right before a cold front or when they are actively feeding shallow. In the summer, deeper, around fifteen feet. Look for points and shelfs on your sonar. Beltzville's wierd, one spot its 180 foot deep and some spots its at 1.5 in the middle of the lake.

[RobbyZ5001]

No where in that lake is it 180 foot. The spot which I am 90% sure you are talking about where you say is 1.5 is the hump by preachers camp and I think the shallowest the hump is is around 3-4 foot. Justin what rig do you have? I spend at least 3 days a week on Bville as well. I was out today for 4 hours for my first trial run since knee surgery. I had 10 hits and only got 2 pickerel. I turned 3 bass that I could see. They just weren't eating today. Could be the mid 50's temps!

[Justin0530]

180 may have been an exaggeration but over by the dam its is every bit of 150 on the ski area side, and i was just down the end by trachsville bridge and it was 1.5-3 ft throughout the cove.

[Justin0530]

I fished the tuesday night tourny last night and the fish were hitting a little better. Only caught one good one though. Small mouth weighed in at 2.62

[Justin0530]

180 may have been an exaggeration but over by the dam its is every bit of 150 on the ski area side, and i was just down the end by trachsville bridge and it was 1.5-3 ft throughout the cove.The point i was referring too is where the buoy is under the powere lines. when the lake is down its only a foot.

[RobbyZ5001]

180 may have been an exaggeration but over by the dam its is every bit of 150 on the ski area side, and i was just down the end by trachsville bridge and it was 1.5-3 ft throughout the cove.The point i was referring too is where the buoy is under the powere lines. when the lake is down its only a foot.

No where in B-ville is 150 deepest is about 130 and you are right that is on the ski area side. Also no kidding about it being 1.5 to 3 ft it is the stream going into the lake. The lake was made from two streams Big Creek and Wild Creek. Big Creek is at the bridge.

[zdunham]

Robby was that bass in your profile picture caught in PA?

[RobbyZ5001]

Robby was that bass in your profile picture caught in PA?

It was caught in Beltzville

[Justin0530]

It could be i dont fish that way much....too deep.....Beltzville definitely has quality fish in it though. Im too young to remember when they flooded it but my grandfather always tells me stories of when he used to drive the roads that are now under water...the pohopoco was one of the creeks wasn't it?

[RobbyZ5001]

I am young too Justin and I heard the same stories as you did from my uncle ;D.  Big Creek and Wild Creek were the two major creeks. They flow into the Pohopoco. You have a PM also!

[zdunham]

How heavy is that bass Robby?

[RobbyZ5001]

When I weighed it on the water it was verrrry choppy. The wind was blowing 25 so the boat kept going up and down. The scale fluctuated between 6.5 and 7 so I say its 6.5.

[davisg]

Hey just found this topic, im from the Tower City area and mostly a river fisherman but want to start getting to some lakes.  I just read about this lake and its not to far from me I was wondering what the bass are hitting.  Are the bass hitting since it has warmed up? What are the chances of catching largemouth?  One more question is it better fishing there in the fall and spring?  Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks. Glenn

[Zel]

Davisg,

Welcome!  

Just my two cents, but if you want to start fishing lakes, Beltzville (or as we locals call it... "The Dead Sea") might not be the place to start.  It can be a really tough lake, especially for newcomers.  You might consider Mauch Chunk Lake in Jim Thorpe (probably about the same distance from you).  It is an easy lake to catch fish at... well usually.  It has good boat and bank fishing.  When I am bank fishing there, I park at Launch A and fish from the swimming area up to the dam).  Muddy is our in-house expert on that lake.

My next door neighbor likes fishing Tuscarora Lake near Tamaqua, but I'm not familiar with it.

[davisg]

Alright, yea I would be out in my boat and im not looking for electric only lakes, do tons of river fishing and some tours. like I said but have always wanted to get out on some lakes. How is that mauch chunk lake? size, or any motor restrictions?

[TheHammer84]

Heard it's a madhouse there.  Are there a lot of pleasure boaters?

[RobbyZ5001]

Alright, yea I would be out in my boat and im not looking for electric only lakes, do tons of river fishing and some tours. like I said but have always wanted to get out on some lakes. How is that mauch chunk lake? size, or any motor restrictions?

Chunk is electric only. Size probably less then 800 acres.

[RobbyZ5001]

Heard it's a madhouse there. Are there a lot of pleasure boaters?

Weekends are a mess for the most part, but other then that it isn't all that bad.

[zdunham]

I have been to Mauch Chunk Lake two times, it is about an hour from where I am. I went to boat launch B both times and went to that far end of the lake. There is a large shallow flat, maybe 6ft and under for most of that very end. During the day we would crank the drop offs and then in the evening go up in this shallow flat. In the flat there is a lot of grass under the surface and lillypads. Classic slug-go fishing works like a charm up in that area in the evening.