Fishing Report For Youghiogheny River Lake, PA

By Rick Seaman

February 15, 2025

Popular Fish Species Reports
Youghiogheny River Lake Fishing Video
Available Fish Species
Today's Weather & Forecast
Marinas
Local Fishing Guides
Fishing License
Map
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Fishing Report Youghiogheny River Lake, PA

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Youghiogheny River Lake, PA

Smallmouth Bass

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

Youghiogheny River Lake is widely-known as an exceptional smallmouth bass fishery. Locals and visiting tournament anglers report catching really nice smallies with some consistency. Mid-range crankbaits, like the Rapala DT-6, are a good way to cover lots of water and the smallmouth here eat them up. Tube baits are a go-to lure when the bite is slow. The fishing is often good on cold, windy, cloudy and rainy days.

Walleye

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good

Walleye like to slow cruise around flats and structure close to deep water. In Youghiogheny River Lake, they primarily feed on small fish, close to the bottom. One of their favorite foods are yellow perch. When walleye are in 12' to 25' of water a blade bait or a swimbait is a good way to locate the fish. Troll or fan cast and cover lots of water. Once you locate a school, a drop-shot rig with minnow-shaped plastics is a good way to work the school. Locals report spoons, deep-diving crankbaits, and worm harness spinners are also catching walleye while trolling.

Black Crappie - White Crappie

Current Report: Poor To Good
Outlook: Good

Crappie fishing has been slow, to decent recently in Youghiogheny River Lake. Spring is the premiere time to be on the water as crappie move into shallow coves to spawn. Rocky areas and brush piles are 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.

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie, white crappie, walleye, bluegill, pumpkinseed sunfish, rock bass, yellow perch, hybrid striped bass, chain pickerel, muskie and northern pike at Youghiogheny River Lake in Pennsylvania.

At 16 miles long and covering 2,800 acres, Yough Lake is a large fishery, with nearly 40 miles of shoreline. Lake levels here may fluctuate drastically as the primary purpose of the lake is flood control. At high water levels, boat launches and a marina serve the lake.

Primary fish species to catch

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Marinas

Click here for marinas available at this lake.

Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

Click here for boat ramps available at this lake.

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".