THE POCONO MOUNTAINS OFFER MANY WATERS FOR FISHING

04/08/2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Alicia M. Quinn
Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau
Phone: 570.421.5791
alicia@poconos.org 

  THE POCONO MOUNTAINS OFFER MANY WATERS FOR FISHING

POCONO MOUNTAINS, PA, April 8, 2009 – An angler can visit the Pocono Mountains area for an entire month and never fish the same water twice. Native fish can be found throughout our four-county area. And the odds of a successful day are greatly helped by the heavy stocking of the waters of the Pocono Mountains lakes, done annually.  From shad, muskellunge, panfish and pickerel to bass and some of the best trout in the country, some of Pennsylvania's best places to fish are in the Pocono Mountains. Trout season begins on April 18, 2009; a national holiday to local anglers.  

One hundred and fifty lakes, 170 miles of river including the Lehigh, Lackawaxen and Delaware Rivers and six state parks for fishing (Beltzville, Gouldsboro, Hickory Run, Lehigh Gorge, Promised Land and Tobyhanna) can be found in the Pocono Mountains region.  In addition, the waters of the Pocono Mountains reside in a clean environment that has been protected by the wildlife conservation and management efforts of the state of Pennsylvania.

Some of the best streams or creeks for April trout fishing include Butternut Creek (Sterling); Pohopoco Creek (Lehighton); Mud Run, Fourth Run and Sand Spring Run (White Haven) and The Brodhead from Analomink to Stroudsburg.  There is limited access below Stroudsburg to the Delaware, but this section has mostlyhold-over trout and can be worth the effort.  McMicheals Creek (Sciota) boasts easy access and an abundance of fish, making it a prime hotspot.  Pocono Creek (Tannersville) has limited access and a section with special regulations, but is definitely worth a try.  Fishing the Bushkill Creek (Bushkill)heats upa little later on in the season and continues into the summer.

Bushkill Creek is also a terrific spot for fly-fishing, especiallyin the section owned by the Boy Scouts of America.  (Note: A special permit is required from the Council.)  The highlight of fly-fishing, though, is the section of the West Branch of the Delaware River which sports the "Best Wild Trout Fishing East of The Rockies."  For guided fly-fishing trips to the best rivers, lakes, streams and ponds from the Pocono Mountains to the Delaware Valley, contact the Delaware River Fly-Fishing Guide Service at 215-343-1720 or Shawnee Fishing Adventures at 570-424-4000.

Not to be overlooked is the fantastic lake fishing in the Pocono Mountains.  Some of the best open waters for public fishing are listed by county below.  See how many you can check off the list this year.

Carbon County
· Beltsville Lake: Bass, muskellunge, panfish, pickerel, trout and walleye. (Route 209, Lehighton)
· Francis E. Walter Reservoir: Bass, panfish, trout and walleye. (White Haven)
· Mauch Chunk Lake: Bass, muskellunge, panfish, pickerel and trout. Stocked with walleye. (Off Route 209, Jim Thorpe)
· Parryville Dam: Bass, panfish, pickerel and trout. (Parryville) 

Monroe County 
· Brady's Lake: Species found are bass, panfish and pickerel. (Blakeslee)
· Gouldsboro Lake: Bass, panfish and pickerel. Stocked with walleye. (Route 507)
· Gregory's Pond: Bass and panfish. (East Stroudsburg)
· Hidden Lake: Bass, panfish, pickerel and trout. (Marshalls Creek)
· Tobyhanna Lake: Bass, panfish, pickerel and trout. (Tobyhanna)   

Pike County
·  Billings Pond: Bass, panfish, pickerel and walleye. (Lords Valley)
·  Bruce Lake: Bass, muskellunge, panfish and pickerel. (Off I-84, Promised Land)
·  Decker Marsh Dam: Panfish and pickerel. (Hawley)
·  Egypt Meadow Lake: Bass, panfish and pickerel. (Off I-84, Promised Land)
·  Fairview Lake: Bass, muskellunge, panfish, pickerel, trout and walleye. (Route 390, Palmyra)
·  Greeley Lake: Bass, panfish and pickerel. (Off of Route 6, Shohola Area)
·  Lake Minisink: Bass, panfish, pickerel and trout. (Dingmans Ferry)
·  Lake Shohola: Bass, muskellunge, panfish and pickerel. (Route 6 North, Lords Valley)
·  Lake Wallenpaupack: Bass (largemouth, smallmouth, striped and striped hybrid), muskellunge, panfish, pickerel, trout, pike and walleye. (Route 6)
·  Little Mud Pond: Bass, panfish, pickerel and trout. (Off Route 6 in Dingmans Ferry)
·  Lower Lake: Bass, panfish, pickerel and trout. (Off I-84, Promised Land)
·  Peck's Pond: Bass, panfish and pickerel. (Off Route 739, Dingmans Ferry)
·  Pine Lake: Bass and pickerel. (Greentown)
·  Promised Land Lake: Bass, muskellunge, panfish and pickerel. (I-84, Promised Land)
·  White Deer Lake: Bass, panfish, pickerel and walleye. (Hawley)  

Wayne County
·  Belmont Lake: Stocked with muskellunge and walleye. (Route 670)
·  Duck Harbor Pond: Bass, panfish, pickerel, trout and walleye. (Lookout)
·  Gouldsboro Lake: Bass, panfish and pickerel. Stocked with walleye. (Route 507)
·  Lake Wallenpaupack: Bass (largemouth, smallmouth, striped and striped hybrid), muskellunge, panfish, pickerel, trout, pike and walleye. (Route 6)
·  Long Pond: Pickerel and panfish. (Off Route 670, Honesdale)
·  Lower Woods Pond: Stocked with walleye. (Off Route 371)
·  Miller Pond: Bass, panfish and pickerel. (Routes 371/4028)
·  Prompton Dam: Bass, panfish, pickerel and walleye. (Prompton)
·  Upper Woods Pond: Stocked with brook and rainbow trout. (Route 371)
·  White Oak Pond: Bass, panfish and pickerel. (Routes 170/296)

The variety of cool and warm water fish found in the Pocono Mountains allows for year-round fishing.  Trout season extends throughout the majority of the year.  Millions of shad pass through the Delaware Water Gap from mid-April through early June, enticing anglers from all over the state.  Even in the winter when temperatures drop, avid fishermen who aren't afraid to brave the cold enjoy ice fishing on frozen lakes in the Pocono Mountains.

Many people, especially those with children, also enjoy fishing at one of the regions commercial hatcheries, which include Big Brown Fish & Pay Lake (570-629-0427), Paradise Trout Preserve (570-629-0422), Pecks Pond (570-775-7237) and more.

To plan your Pocono Mountains fishing getaway, visit www.800poconos.com/fishing.  For tips on what to look for and where to go while fishing in the Pocono Mountains, check out the Pocono Mountains Fishing Guide at www.800poconos.com/fishingguide.

Comprehensive Pocono Mountains visitor information is available online at www.800poconos.com or by phone at 800-POCONOS (800-762-6667).  The Pocono Mountains Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization for the four counties of Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Wayne in northeastern Pennsylvania.   

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