While all fishing is cyclical, the number of bass between 12 and 15 inches has shown great improvement since the inception of Big Bass Regulations in 1997.

Mauch Chunk Lake is a PFBC impoundment, surrounded by a park operated by the Carbon County Parks and Recreation Department. The facility has camping facilities open from the second Friday in April through the end of October.

Mauch Chunk Lake is long, thin and rather straight, particularly along its southern shore. A dam is at the eastern end. The western end has a stream tributary and tends to warm up quicker than the lake’s deeper, lower half. Halfway along the northern shoreline is a curved indentation that’s shallower than the main lake and is a good site for pre- and post-spawn bass.

Most anglers will concentrate on the convoluted northern shore and along the channel that snakes through the lake.

There are two launch sites on the lake designated “A” and “B.” Both are along the Lentz Trail Highway between Jim Thorpe and Summit Hill. For more information, call the county park office at (570) 325-3369.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION
For additional information on Pennsylvania’s fantastic bass-fishing opportunities, contact the PFBC in Harrisburg at (717) 705-7800.

For travel information, call 1-800-VISIT-PA.