Fishing Report For Pymatuning Reservoir, PA

By Rick Seaman

April 27, 2025

Popular Fish Species Reports
Pymatuning Reservoir Fishing Video
Available Fish Species
Today's Weather & Forecast
Fishing Boat Rentals
Boat Launch Ramps
Marinas
Fishing License
Map
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Fishing Report Pymatuning Reservoir

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Pymatuning Reservoir, PA

Black Crappie - White Crappie

Uncle Buck's Panfish Creatures Curly Tail Minnow Rigged

Current Report:Good To Very Good
Outlook: Very Good To Excellent

Ever since ice-out, crappie fishing has been good here, especially in shallow coves and bays. The northern tip of the lake, behind the big islands, has a variety of good cover, including stumps, brush and vegetation. Spring is the premiere time to be on the water as crappie move into shallow coves to spawn. Anywhere you find brush, wood or deep vegetation you can cast small crappie jigs or live minnows, and expect to catch crappie. Light tackle with 4 lb to 8 lb line is ideal. Anglers report success using fish finders and forward facing sonar to locate schools of crappie.

Walleye

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

Spring and Fall are the best season for catching walleye. The area around Whaley, Harris and Clark islands has lots of rocky points, humps and ledges where walleye like to spawn, making this an ideal area in Spring. With ice-out completed, anglers are finding walleye feeding in the shallows. Come Summer they move to flats, shoals and ledges off shore, nearby drops into deeper water. Throughout Summer, early in the morning and from dusk to long after dark are good times to catch walleye, as they move shallow to feed. They primarily feed on shad and small fish, close to the bottom. Blade baits, jigs, swimbaits and spoons are popular lure choices. Local anglers have reported catching walleye using spoons, deep-diving crankbaits, and worm harness spinners while trolling lately.

Yellow Perch

Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Very Good

Ice fishing for yellow perch was good this winter, and the fishing continues to be good as the water warms, particularly in the shallows. Anglers are catching perch on nightcrawlers, grubs, small spoons and small swimbaits. A stable population of yellow perch reside here, providing a steady food source for larger, predator fish like bass, walleye and muskie. The southern portion of the lake is popular in warmer months. They also provide fun fishing for anglers, as well as tasty table fare.

Fishing Video

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, black crappie, white crappie, walleye, bluegill, pumpkinseed sunfish, white bass, yellow perch and muskie at Pymatuning Lake in Pennsylvania.

Pymatuning Reservoir is a 14,600-acre reservoir with 70 miles of shoreline. Bass, crappie, walleye, muskie, perch, catfish and sunfish all thrive here. There is a 20-hp limit for watercraft. In winter, there's good ice fishing for black crappie, walleye and yellow perch.

Primary fish species to catch

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Fishing Boat Rentals

Click here for fishing boat rentals available at this lake.

Marinas

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Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

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Fishing License

Click here for a Pennsylvania Fishing License.

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".