Lake Wallenpaupack has a surface area of 5,670 acres. Maximum depth close to the dam is about 60 feet. Farther up the lake maximum depth is closer to 30 feet. The forage base is alewives, an oily, high-protein fish that helps trout pack on weight.

Fishing pressure is intense here, but most of it is directed toward other game fish. The brown trout population is fair to good, but do not fish here with the expectation of catching a lot of them. However, if you want to be the angler who puts our state record over 20 pounds again, this might be the most likely place to do it. Almost certainly it is the best choice in the eastern part of the state.

"We supplement the lake's trout population with stocked fingerlings," said Tom Greene, coldwater unit leader for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. "I'm sure some fish come down into it from Wallenpaupack Creek."

The lake gets an annual stocking of about 125,000 brown trout fingerlings.

Notable recent catches include the largest brown reported in the state in 2003, a 13-pound, 5.75-ounce fish, and the third largest that year (10 pounds, 6 ounces), the fourth largest the year before (10 pounds, 8 ounces), and the second largest in 2001 (10 pounds, 6 ounces).

Most brown trout fishing is done during spring. All of those larger browns were caught during May and June.

"I'd say down by our access areas have been pretty good, Ironwood Point, Ledgedale, between Epley Island and the northern shoreline," Arnold suggested when asked about the better areas to fish for brown trout.

During summer, the thermocline sets up at about 23 feet, which will narrow the search area, but few anglers take advantage of this.

"I really haven't heard of anybody downrigging for browns," Arnold said. "It's a hard lake to fish, mostly due to the recreational use of the lake during the summer season. I'd think fall anglers would stand a better chance."

Information about places to stay and other services in the Lake Wallenpaupack area is available from Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, Inc., 1004 Main Street, Stroudsburg, PA 18360; or call (800) 762-6667.

HARVEYS LAKE
Harveys Lake is a natural lake in Luzerne County that has been enhanced by a small dam. Though not large, with a surface area of 658 acres, it is deep, with a maximum depth of 102 feet. This two-story fishery provides excellent year-round trout habitat.

"We manage Harveys Lake with catchable-size brown trout. They seem to be doing pretty well," Greene said. "Our survey crews have caught them in gill nets in the 10-pound range."

According to area fisheries manager Robert Moase, the top end for Harveys Lake brown trout is about 13 pounds. Trout-fishing pressure is quite heavy here, especially during April, May, October and November.

For information about local services, contact the Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 56 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701; or call (888) 905-2872.

RAYSTOWN LAKE
From 1993 through 2000, the state-record brown trout was a product of Raystown Lake, although the fish was technically caught at the spillway below Raystown Dam. That fish weighed 17 pounds, 14.5 ounces. Leroy Patterson caught it while fishing the Raystown Branch.

Raystown Lake is the largest lake completely within Pennsylvania and has a surface area of 8,300 acres. It is very deep and has a forage base of shad and rainbow smelt. But the brown trout population is sparse and receives little attention from anglers.

"We don't stock it with browns any longer," Greene said. "We did for a while. Our creel surveys indicated there weren't a lot of people targeting brown trout. But a nice brown trout shows up there from time to time.

Notable catches during the past few years have been an 11-pound, 8-ounce brown that was the second largest reported in 2002, and an 11-pound, 2-ounce brown trout caught in 2000 was the second largest reported that year.