Upper Woods Pond is two miles north of Cold Springs Corners off Route 371 and is contained within State Game Lands 159. It is a natural glacial lake with a surface area of 80 acres and a maximum depth of about 73 feet, which lends itself to holding trout over between stockings. There is only one access point for vehicles at the northern end of the lake.

For information about lodging and other area services, contact the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, Inc., 1004 Main St., Stroudsburg, PA 18360; call (800) 762-6667, e-mail pocomts@poconos.org, or visit the Web site at www.800poconos.com.

SOUTHEAST REGION
Safe ice for winter fishing in the Southeast Region is not a certainty. A pair of the more likely places to find hardwater opportunities are Antietam Lake and Scotts Run Lake in Berks County.

Antietam Lake was stocked Dec. 6 and will be restocked on Feb. 2; Scotts Run Lake was stocked Dec. 13 and will be replenished Jan. 1. Both are Early-Season Trout-Stocked Waters Program lakes.

To reach Antietam Lake, take Business Route 422 from Reading into Mt. Penn, turn left on Carsonia Avenue and continue to a stop sign. Continue straight ahead onto Antietam Road.

Scotts Run Lake is part of French Creek State Park. The park is off Route 345 south of Birdsboro and north of Route 23.

For park information, contact the French Creek State Park office, 843 Park Road, Elverson, PA 19520-9523, or call (610) 582-9680.

Information about local services is available through the Reading and Berks County Visitors Bureau, 352 Penn St., Reading, PA 19602, or call (800) 443-6610.

SOUTHCENTRAL REGION
As in the Southeast Region, ice- fishing opportunities in the Southcentral Region tend to be minimal. Cowans Gap Lake in Fulton County will be stocked Feb. 24 and is part of the Early-Season Trout-Stocked Waters Program. Likely as not, though, this will be open-water fishing. If it is frozen, be sure the ice is safe to walk on.

This lake is in Cowans Gap State Park. The park is between Chambersburg and McConnellsburg. From the west, take Exit 180 (Fort Littleton) off I-76, and then Route 522 north to Burnt Cabins and follow the signs to the park. From the east, take Exit 189 (Willow Hill) off I-76, and then Route 75 south to Richmond Furnace and follow the signs. From U.S. Route 30, take Route 75 North at Fort Loudon to Richmond Furnace and follow the signs.

For park information, contact the Cowans Gap State Park office, 6235 Aughwick Road, Fort Loudon, PA 17224-9801; call (717) 485-3948, or e-mail them at cowansgapsp@state.pa.us.

SOUTHWEST REGION
Different weather patterns and higher elevations lead to more ice- fishing in the Southwest Region than in the other southern regions, though a warmer winter will disappoint ice- fishermen.

Westmoreland County has six lakes to be stocked on Feb. 7 for the Early-Season Trout-Stocked Waters Program. For Lower Twin Lake, it will be the second stocking of the winter; the first was Dec. 13. This lake is in a city park east of Greensburg.

For more about local services, contact the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau, 120 East Main St., Ligonier, PA 15658, or call (800) 333-5661.

Rowena Lake is near Ebensburg off Route 22 on Lake View Road. It covers 13 acres to a maximum depth of about 15 feet. The first stocking this winter took place Dec. 13 and another is scheduled for Feb. 14. It is also loaded with crappies, but they tend toward the small side.

For local information, contact the Greater Johnstown Convention and Visitors Bureau, 111 Market St., Johnstown, PA 15901, or call (800) 237-8590.

For more information about ice-fishing opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, P.O. Box 67000, 1601 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000, or call (717) 705-7800.

For more information about accommodations statewide, contact the Pennsylvania Office of Tourism, Room 404, Forum Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120, call (717) 232-8880 or (800) VISIT-PA.