Best rainbow trout lakes in Pennsylvania
6 Pennsylvania waters hold rainbow trout. 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 classic stocked cold-water trout. Depth is everything: rainbows follow the temperature layer they like.
- Allegheny Reservoir — 180 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout
- Allegheny River — 15 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout
- Youghiogheny River Lake — 110 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Rainbow Trout
- Lehigh River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
- Delaware River (Upper) — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
- Youghiogheny River — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
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When to fish rainbow trout in Pennsylvania
- Spring 5–20 ft — Post-ice-out trout roam shallow; fish inflows and windblown shorelines.
- Summer 8–30 ft — Rainbows hold near cold inflows, current seams and the thermocline — find the cool water and you've found the fish.
- Fall 10–35 ft — Fall feeding on rock shoals, current and channel edges as water cools.
- Winter 8–40 ft — Trout are comfortable in cold water — one of the best winter targets; streams and tailwaters fish shallow, deep lakes hold on basin edges.
Also in Pennsylvania: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best crappie lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best brown trout lakes · best rock bass lakes
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