Whether you are a seasoned angler or just looking for a relaxing time with the family, the beautiful streams and lakes found throughout Pennsylvania offer a wide range of fishing fun. With a variety of large lakes and pristine brooks, it is easy to see why Pennsylvania is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts.

Maurice K. Goddard State Park - Lake Wilhelm

Jamestown, PA (Pennsylvania's Great Lakes Region)
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/mauricekgoddard.aspx

Lake Wilhelm, which stretches 1,860 acres across the diverse wetlands and animal habitats of Maurice K. Goddard State Park, is fast becoming extremely popular among anglers looking for the perfect catch.

This warm water fishery is home to large and small mouth bass, walleye, bluegill, crappie, muskellunge, and northern pike. The fishing pier located near the marina parking lot offers some great fishing, but don't be afraid to bring your boat and take advantage of the four lane boat-launching ramp, and marina fueling station.

Pymatuning State Park - Pymatuning Reservoir

Sandy Lake, PA (Pennsylvania's Great Lakes Region)
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/pymatuning.aspx

Home to the largest lake in the commonwealth, three separate campgrounds, a visitor's center, wildlife viewing area, and a learning center, it is no surprise that the 21,122-acre Pymatuning State Park is one of the most visited parks in the state. Due to its convenient location on the border of Pennsylvania and Ohio, fishing licenses from both states are accepted anywhere on the lake. This warm-water fishery offers a wide array of species including, walleye, muskellunge, carp, perch, bluegill, and largemouth and small mouth bass. Catching crappie and walleye through the ice is also very popular in the winter months.

Moraine State Park - Lake Arthur

Portersville, PA (Pittsburgh and its Countryside)
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/moraine.aspx

Land once utilized for coal mining and oil drilling is now an outstanding example of environmental restoration at its best. More than one million people visit this 16,725-acre park and take full advantage of beautiful Lake Arthur. This 3,225-acre lake is a warm water fishery surrounded by rolling hills, and lush forests. Anglers and beginners enjoy catching largemouth bass, catfish, black crappie, and bluegill. With the help of volunteers, park employees, and the Fish and Boat Commission, various fish habitats have been installed throughout the lake, which add to the unique fishing that can be found here.

Raccoon Creek State Park - Raccoon Lake

Hookstown, PA (Pittsburgh and its Countryside)
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/raccooncreek.aspx

Providing the opportunity to fish year round against a gorgeous 7,572-acre landscape, Raccoon Creek State Park features the 101-acre Raccoon Lake, home to both warm and cold water fish. The 12-acre Upper Lake is your cure to the out of season blues and offers year round catch and release fishing. Popular species include bluegill, sunfish, bullhead catfish, yellow perch, walleye, sauger, muskellunge, brook and rainbow trout, and large and small mouth bass.

Cook Forest State Park - Clarion River and Tom's Run

Cooksburg, PA (Pennsylvania Wilds)
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/cookforest.aspx

The towering White Pines and gigantic Hemlocks found at Cook Forest State Park has become a National Natural Landmark. Located in the scenic hills of northwestern Pennsylvania, this park not only offers visitors views of magnificent old growth forests, but also the fun activities offered by the Clarion River. When you are not canoeing or rafting down the river, try your hand at fly fishing and go after the trout stocked by the Fish and Boat Commission. This location offers fun for the whole family with its special trout stocked fishing pond available for use by children 12 and younger.

Sizerville State Park - Cowley Run and Sinnemahoning Creek

Emporium, PA (Pennsylvania Wilds)
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/sizerville.aspx

If you want to find mountain freestone fishing at its best, Sizerville State Park is the place to be. Offering anglers the chance to catch native brook trout, as well as brown trout and smallmouth bass, the east and west branches of Cowley Run and Sinnemahoning Creek is a fisherman's paradise. The beautiful creeks flow through the 386-acre park and are nearly surrounded by the Elk State Forest.

Raystown Lake

Huntington, PA (The Alleghenies and her Valleys)
www.raystownlake.com

Known as the "fisherman's paradise," the enormous 8,000-acre Raystown Lake is considered one of Pennsylvania's best kept secrets. With a huge variety of activities and things to do from shopping to boating and of course, fishing, Raystown is fun for the whole family. This lake offers such a large variety of different species it is no surprise that various fishing tournaments are held here each year. Look for these species on your next fishing adventure: catfish, carp, striped, largemouth, rock, and smallmouth bass, walleye, muskellunge, trout (lake, brown, and rainbow), Atlantic salmon, perch, smelt, crappy, and blue gill.

Blue Knob State Park - Bobs Creek and its tributaries

Imler, PA (The Alleghenies and her Valleys)
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/blueknob.aspx

This dense woodland park offers solitude to its visitors that not many other parks in the area are able to do. Its 6,128-acres of changing terrain and pristine flowing creeks create a playground for the outdoor enthusiast. The streams within the park contain native brook trout along with stocked trout placed through a cooperative nursery program operated by the Pavia Sportsmen Club Inc., and the park.

Locust Lake State Park - Locust Lake

Barnesville, PA (The Alleghenies and her Valleys)
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/locustlake.aspx

With the beautiful Locust Mountains as the background, the 52-acre Locust Lake is located among camp sites, hiking trails, and stunning forests in the 1,089-acre Locust Lake State Park. The lake is stocked several times annually with brown and brook trout. Other species in the lake include pickerels, large and small mouth bass, and panfish, which allow anglers to enjoy fishing action in all seasons. The park is known for its camping area, so many anglers make a weekend out of their fishing adventures.

Gifford Pinchot State Park - Pinchot Lake

Lewisberry, PA (Dutch County Roads)
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/giffordpinchot.aspx

A gorgeous combination of farmland and rolling wooded hillsides make up this full service, 2,338-acre Park. Its prime attraction is the 340-acre Pinchot Lake, which is home to a variety of different fish so you can land your ideal catch. The waters are full of largemouth bass, hybrid bass, muskellunge, catfish, carp, walleye, crappie, and sunfish. In order to keep the lake healthy with bass, Pinchot is designated as a big bass lake, so there are special regulations on the minimum size and creel limits for all species of bass.

French Creek State Park - Scotts Run Lake and Hopewell Lake

Elverson, PA (Dutch County Roads)
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/frenchcreek.aspx

Set amidst the old and picturesque farmland of southeast Pennsylvania, French Creek State Park offers everything from a national historic site, to more than 35 miles of hiking trails. Made popular by its two large lakes, this park is great fishing hotspot. The 22-acre Scotts Run Lake is a cold water lake which offers excellent trout fishing. The lake, stocked three times a year, allows anglers to enjoy catching cold water fish year round. If it is warm water species you are looking for, Hopewell Lake is the other option at French Creek. Regulated as a big bass lake, this 68-acre body of water is packed with species including northern pike, chain pickerel, bass, walleye, and muskellunge.

Hickory Run State Park - various streams and lakes, Mud Run, Hickory Run, and the Lehigh River

White Haven, PA (Northeast Pennsylvania Mountains)
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/hickoryrun.aspx

The trout streams and rivers scattered all throughout this beautiful park, which is located in the western foothills of the Pocono Mountains, provide anglers with an endless variety of fishing excitement. If fly fishing is your sport, many of the streams are stocked with brook and brown trout. If you are in search of warm water game fish and pan fish, the Lehigh River, which flows along the western boundary of the park, is where you want to be.

Promised Land State Park - Promised Lake and Lower Lake

Greentown, PA (Northeast Pennsylvania Mountains)
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/promisedland.aspx

There is no shortage of options when it comes to fishing at Promised Land State Park. With two large lakes offering outstanding fishing year round, you will be satisfied with hunting for a prize small mouth, or catching sunfish with the family. The 422-acre Promised Lake includes species such as bass, pickerel, muskellunge, yellow perch, sunfish and catfish. The 173-acre Lowe Lake is approved trout waters and it is stocked with brook, brown, and rainbow trout. The outstanding scenic beauty of the Pocono Mountains and deep forest will no doubt add to your day on the water.

Marsh Creek State Park - Marsh Creek Lake

Downingtown, PA (Philadelphia and the Countryside)
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/marshcreek.aspx

You might stumble upon some surprises while fishing the 535-acre Marsh Creek Lake. Anglers have been known to land 40-inch long tiger muskies, which is a cross between northern pike and native muskellunge. If you don't get that lucky, other species in the lake include largemouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie, walleye, and a variety of panfish. Along with the outstanding fishing this park has to offer, this location is also known to be a rest stop for some gorgeous migrating waterfowl.

White Clay Creek Preserve - White Clay Creek

Landenberg, PA (Philadelphia and the Countryside)
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/whiteclaycreek.aspx

Considered to be one of the best trout fishing streams in the area, the White Clay Creek possess such outstanding scenic, wildlife, recreational, and cultural value, that it has been designated by the U.S. Congress as a National Wild and Scenic River. Due to the hopes of preserving the creek for future generations, some regulations on artificial lures apply to the Middle Branch of the creek. Any bait can be used on the east branch, where the trout is plentiful and is stocked several times a season.

NOTE: For complete information on fishing rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web sitehttp://www.fish.state.pa.us/mpag1.htm