Thread: Pinchot

Wish I could help, don't have a boat so I only fish from shore in the spring. Towards end of may, I saw boats heading to the middle of the lake over the creek channel. There are also some deeper brushpiles or cribs towards the dam from boat launch #2 in deeper water. There is a couple structure maps for Pinchot on the PA Fish and Game website which might point you in the right direction.

Thanks I just need to figure the lake out I have never fished it other then ice fishing with my dad years ago . I always fished Raystown but Pinchot is a lot closer to me seeing how I live in Carlisle . Lural lake is okay and well Opossum lake is just not the same as it was going to take awhile till it is back to the way it was , I used to fish Letter kenney Dam which is good for Pike and trout but never caught any Crappie or Perch ,

Holeman Lake (AKA. Little Buffalo State Park) in Newport has decent numbers of crappie, but have heard mixed reports on size. I caught over a hundred one day from the bank along the rocks next to the rd, but they were all around six inches. Have heard of guys catching bigger ones from boats.

Originally Posted by Tree Wraith

Holeman Lake (AKA. Little Buffalo State Park) in Newport has decent numbers of crappie, but have heard mixed reports on size. I caught over a hundred one day from the bank along the rocks next to the rd, but they were all around six inches. Have heard of guys catching bigger ones from boats.

Will have to try this lake out this fall


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Pinchot used to be a fair crappie lake however it gets over fished to the max. Bank fishermen line up along the breast and keep everything they catch. A six inch crappie is in the bucket and never reaches mature size. They have a BASS outing ( tournament) once a week also. I used to fish Opossum a good bit for crappie before it was drained. I could catch a half dozen or more 10 plus inches fish almost every trip in the spring and sometimes a few larger ones mixed in with the dinks. With out a doubt Lake Marburg in Hanover is the big fish lake. I do not think anyone ever figures it out but a good starting point would be to stop at B and B tackle in Hanover. Gordon and son Nate can give some good current information. They have a real bait and tackle store and just plain old good guys. Also they do many local shows from January through April. Good luck and hope you hit them somewhere locally.

Yeah today was my sixth trip there and all I caught was to small Bass not even 8 inches long fished it all day out of six trips caught only three Bass I could not even get a blue gill . And it must have been tournament this evening around 5PM it looked like a fleet of bass boats out there it was crazy ... will have to give Marburg a try also thinking heading to Little Buffalo .. Thanks for the info

If your are going to look at Marburg, dont forget Long Arm Reservoir which is on the other side of town (hanover). Also has nice keepers, - never fished it just drove around it once. There was an earlier tread this year by someone who fished it and caught some nice keepers.

Marburg also has an overabundant white perch population - up to 14 inches from what ive heard although I'd have to see that fish to believe it. The F&B comm. has also introduced stripers fingerlings into the lake recently according to their stocking page to curb the gizzard shad and white perch pops, will be a few years before they get big enough - but they should get pretty big in that lake. Should be some big crapps with the shad population, I've never had any luck there, but ive only went down early season (further south - less ice).

There are nice crappie in Pinchot - just dont know where to find them this year (dont have a boat). In April I got some nice keepers up to 14.5" one day while a bass tourny was going on, couple bass guys said they heard of two or three crappie pushing 17" caught on bass tackle that day. But yes, the dam breast gets slammed during the winter months before ice and directly after ice out - south end of breast in the corner. No issue with spot burn here, usually around 5-10 guys fish there daily especially when it is a nice day.

Thanks all for the info . I do not doubt that Pinchot has some nice fish in it ,I think it has was to much pressure from fishing and other activities . Each time I have been down I have seen that lake loaded with boats , and most people out there are do not have good fishing ethics , I fish from a kayak I wish I had a flat bottom but it is good and gets me on the water . I have had people run over my lines and almost run into me I think the sail boats are the worst ,then other kayakers who don`t fish . for the most part the guys in the bass boats and flat bottoms stay clear but there is always a few . Had one yesterday tell me I had no right being on the water cause he could not fish in the cove I was in . Sorry about that rant ..

Anyways will keep people posted if I catch some Crappie where ever I may travel and fish