← Pennsylvania fishing maps

Best muskellunge lakes in Pennsylvania

14 Pennsylvania waters hold muskellunge, 3 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The fish of 10,000 casts. Apex predator that shadows weed edges, rock and open-water bait schools.

1. Lake Erie — Eastern Basin — 205 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
2. Pymatuning Reservoir — 33 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
3. Allegheny Reservoir — 180 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow TroutWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
4. Raystown Lake — 185 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
5. Lake Wallenpaupack — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
6. Shenango River Lake — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
7. Allegheny River — 15 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow TroutWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites
8. Susquehanna River — 12 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, MuskellungeWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 13 public access sites
9. Lake Nockamixon — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
10. Lake Erie — Presque Isle Bay — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 17 public access sites
11. Juniata River — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge, Common CarpWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
12. Lake Arthur — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
13. Lake Marburg — 45 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
14. Conneaut Lake — 65 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached

Find the closest muskellunge waters to you →

When to fish muskellunge in Pennsylvania

• Spring 3–12 ft — Post-spawn fish recover in shallow, warming bays — smaller baits, slower work.
• Summer 8–25 ft — Deep weedlines, rock points and open-water humps near bait schools.
• Fall 8–30 ft — The trophy season: big baits worked slow on steep rock and remaining green weeds.
• Winter 15–35 ft — Mostly dormant; deep basins adjacent to structure.

Also in Pennsylvania: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best brown trout lakes · best rock bass lakes

Muskellunge elsewhere: Ontario · Wisconsin · Minnesota · Québec · Michigan · Montana · New York · Wyoming · Indiana · North Dakota · Iowa · Ohio · Nebraska · Utah · Illinois · West Virginia · New Jersey · Kentucky · Virginia