Pennsylvania is known more for its excellent trout fishing destinations than largemouth bass, however, there are plenty of lakes and ponds throughout the state where anglers can fish for largemouth bass.
Learn more about Pennsylvania’s featured largemouth bass fishing destinations.
| Erie, PA |
| Huntingdon County |
| Ohio River |
| Pymatuning Reservoir |
Learn More About Pennsylvania’s Featured Fishing Destinations
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River covers 325 miles and it is a headwater stream of the Ohio River. The Allegheny River is located in Western Pennsylvania and New York. It is a warm water fishery with species such as smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, muskie, catfish, carp and more. This river is considered a very good river for smallmouth bass fishing.
Cumberland Valley
In south central Pennsylvania, you’ll find Cumberland Valley. This area is a popular region for getting outdoors, enjoying the charming downtowns and taking in the beautiful scenery. This part of the state is home to lots of smaller lakes, creeks and streams that offer anglers good fishing opportunities for a variety of fish. Trout fishing is popular in the area streams and creeks. If you want to target bigger fish, head out onto the Susquehanna River for some excellent smallmouth bass fishing to go along with other species such as walleye, muskie, catfish, carp and panfish.
Erie, PA
Erie, Pennsylvania is a very popular port for fishing on Lake Erie. With Presque Isle Bay here and Presque Isle State Park, this area is an awesome area for anglers to come visit and fish. It is one of the more popular areas to start a Lake Erie fishing adventure whether you are targeting walleye, smallmouth bass or perch.
Huntingdon County, PA
Hungtingdon County is located in the rugged and scenic mountains of central Pennsylvania. This area is home to Raystown Lake, which is a beautiful lake that is popular for fishing, boating and just hanging out at the beach. Raystown Lake is known for its excellent striped bass fishing. Spruce Creek is a popular stream for trout fishing in the area. Smallmouth bass anglers usually head over to the Little Juniata River, which is a smaller stream, but holds good numbers of bass.
Laurel Highlands
The Laurel Highlands is a mountainous region in southwestern Pennsylvania that is located about an hour from Pittsburgh. This region is made up of Fayette County, Somerset County, and Westmoreland County. It is a popular area for a weekend getaway for many people located in the Pittsburgh area and this area draws many people from farther away for longer vacations. If you enjoy fishing, the Laurel Highlands provide you more opportunities than you can explore in a summer. From smaller lakes to miles and miles of trout streams, anglers can target a variety of fish such as rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, muskie and more.
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley is known as The Valley. It is a geographic and metropolitan region formed by the Lehigh River in the counties of Lehigh and Northampton, Pennsylvania. There is some very good fishing in The Valley. Lehigh River is the larger river of this county and it is a very good river for trout fishing. There are some smaller creeks, lakes and ponds throughout the county to fish as well.
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a large river that begins at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet. The river flows for almost 1,000 miles through or borders 6 states which are Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. There are some very good fishing opportunities on this river for many species of fish. Depending on what part of the river you are fishing will dictate what species are around in better numbers. However, some of the fish species you can catch in the Ohio River are white bass, hybrid striped bass, striped bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, sauger, walleye, sunfish and a variety of catfish.
Pennsylvania Wilds, PA
The Pennsylvania Wilds is a large area of land that covers more than 2 million acres of beautiful, public land. It is one of the biggest blocks of green that you will find between New York City and Chicago. With 29 state parks, 8 state forests and 50 state game lands, there is plenty here for people to go explore. For the anglers, the wilds has more than 16,000 waterways including two federally designated wild and scenic rivers, which are the Clarion River and the Allegheny River. The Allegheny River is one of of the most popular rivers to fish in the state of Pennsylvania. Anglers target so many species of fish in the wilds including smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, muskie, catfish, perch and trout.
Poconos Mountains
The Pocono Mountains, or Poconos, is a popular mountain region with forested peaks, lakes and valleys that provide beautiful scenery and plenty of outdoor recreation to keep you busy year round. Anglers have lots of options here with bigger lakes, smaller lakes and some excellent river fishing that extends for miles and miles. There are a variety of fish species to target including smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, catfish, panfish, brown trout, brook trout and rainbow trout.
Pymatuning Reservoir
Pymatuning Reservoir is a man-made lake in both Pennsylvania and Ohio. The land was once a very large swamp and now it is a large reservoir with 2 state parks and a very good fishery that so many anglers enjoy year after year. Pymatuning Reservoir is known for its excellent walleye and crappie fishing. The crappie fishing tends to be boom or bust, however, the walleye fishery has been consistent on this lake. Muskie, catfish, largemouth bass, yellow perch and a variety of sunfish round out the fishery.
Steelhead Alley
Steelhead Alley refers to the river tributaries of Lake Erie that are found along Lake Erie’s southern shores. You can access these tributaries in the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. In the spring, these states stock these tributaries with one year old steelhead and these fish come back into these tributaries when they reach spawning age. Take a look at the map below to see the tributaries that are home to some excellent steelhead fishing.
Susquehanna River Valley
The Susquehanna Valley is a region of low-lying land that borders the Susquehanna River in the states of Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland. The Susquehanna River is a very popular river for outdoor recreation and the fishing can be awesome. The river is famous for its amazing smallmouth bass fishing, but there are other species to target as well. Anglers also catch muskie, northern pike, walleye, perch, crappie, catfish, sunfish, pickerel, American shad and more.
Upper Delaware River
The Upper Delaware River is one of the best fishing rivers in the northeastern United States. This is a large region to fish that gives anglers a chance to fish for warm water species such as smallmouth bass, walleye, striped bass and also cold water species such as rainbow trout and brown trout.
