Fishing Report For Lake Wilhelm, PA

By Rick Seaman

February 11, 2025

Popular Fish Species Reports
Lake Wilhelm Fishing Video
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Fishing Report Lake Wilhelm, PA

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Lake Wilhelm, PA

Largemouth Bass

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

If you enjoy fishing for largemouth bass in heavy cover, Lake Wilhelm is your paradise. The upper, northern end, of the lake is thick with vegetation and holds plenty of largemouth bass. A wide variety of lures are catching nice largemouth bass here, but many tournament anglers are throwing spinnerbaits as a primary bait. During slow times, when the bass are finicky, a stick worm, rigged wacky style, often teases bass to strike. Reports by locals indicate lots of 3 lb to 4 lb bass being taken with some consistency.

Black Crappie

Current Report: Poor To Good
Outlook: Good

Although the average crappie in Lake Wilhelm is not bragging size, there are reports of crappie in the 4-pound range being caught from time to time. Spring is the premiere time to be on the water as crappie move into shallow coves to spawn. Crappie love cover, and the lake is chocked full of cover from the Milledgeville Road Bridge to the north end of the lake. Brush, wood and deep vegetation are always a good place to cast small crappie jigs or live minnows. Light tackle with 4 lb to 8 lb line is ideal. Locals report good success using fish finders to locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover. Ice fishing in winter has produced some nice stringers of crappie in recent years.

Northern Pike

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good

Although Lake Wilhelm is not one of the top pike lakes in the state, there are some considerable catches to be had for those who like chasing northern pike. These hearty eaters roam the shorelines in search of wayward, small fish. Using lures that imitate their daily diet has proven effective. Topwater in the warmer months, and jerkbaits as the water cools, have been the ticket to hot northern pike action. When the lake has safe ice in winter, ice fishing for northern pike can be quite thrilling. Portable fish finders can be a big help.

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie, walleye, bluegill, yellow perch, muskie and northern pike at Lake Wilhelm in Pennsylvania.

Lake Wilhelm is a 1,740 acre reservoir with nearly 100 miles of shoreline. It is home to numerous species, but is best known for largemouth bass, crappie, northern pike and yellow perch. Additionally, reports that fishing for walleye, muskellunge, bluegill, catfish, and sunfish are also pretty good.

Primary fish species to catch

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Fishing Boat Rentals

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Marinas

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Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

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Fishing License

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Map - Fishing & Access

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".