Bass fishing in PA

[Big dreams]

Hello Everyone,

I am in the process of accepting a job offer that will require me to relocate. I have been thinking about moving to PA but am not familiar with the state much at all. How is the fishing? How is the hunting? How are the taxes? What are some good areas? What are some bad areas? Really, any information you can think of that might help in the decision making process would be great.

I've been thinking somewhere around the Pittsburg area in the NorthWestern part of the state however, we could go anywhere.

Thanks in advance

[Pokie Pa]

N E is fantastic for fishing, hunting, and living in general. Plenty of state game lands to hunt and Lots of GOOD lakes and rivers to fish.
I live in Wayne county Pa and taxes are ok and about 8 lakes are within 20 miles. Most are no limited horsepower but some are electric only.
Good luck in your search and if you have any questions .... Just ask any one in here. Lots of GREAT people in the Pa forum.

[zaprod71]

I would locate to NE PA. You are very close to NY and all the great fishing up there. Lake Ontario, Lake Onieda, the Finger Lakes, and the St Lawrence are very close. Not far from some great Canadian fishing too.
6% sales tax on everything except food and clothes. Some of the most expensive gas in the country, very high gas tax.
All in all I like living here. The pluses outweigh the minuses.

[RANGER487]

Im from Ohio but live close to Pa and fish the lakes often. The Erie pa area has some options also having Presque Isle bay and the main lake also. Its real close to Chautaque sp? Lake in Ny and you also have Shenango Res not far also. Pa does a nice job managing there lakes.

[06 SB]

I grew up in central PA. I liked fishing the Susquehanna River, Raystown Lake and Kinzua Lake. I still have a cabin up in the Kinzua area. I also fish Erie, Chatauqua, and the finger lakes from that cabin. The state has some really good trout fishing all over.

The suburbs of Philly, Pitt and Hburg are way different than all the rest of rural areas of the state.

The hunting is good, lots of publics lands everywhere and IMO, land owners can be very defensive of their land. Do not venture onto it without permission. Lots of hunters too.

[scotty34]

Straight up ,it sucks. Over taxed governor is a ******* , gas tax is almost .80 per gallon and roads suck, I'm not a hunter but my neighbor is has a cabin in Blain ,never comes home with a deer neither does his family members. The state is "trout driven" don't care about Bass fishing. We have a lot of small lakes that are electric motor only or limited HP
Most small police departments are closing due to cost and now rely on state police for coverage which can be extended response times. Taxes will continue to go up since mfg is leaving the state and it's 3:1 residents leaving vers moving in ( direct quote from a realtor I know)
Pm me if ya want to know more.

[Big dreams]

Thanks guys. I should find out more tomorrow in hopes to narrow down the search. I was trying to stay out of New York because I heard it is high/complex in taxes.

[bigfoot17]

Ny has better fishing than PA. Fortunately not too bad of a ride to upstate.

[ttranger]

I have lived in both Eastern and Western PA. If you prefer lake fishing, there is no comparison - go to Western PA as they have many more big lakes without HP ratings, and you won't be far from the fantastic fishing in Lake Erie. Western PA also offers a better variety of species, with quality fishing for walleye, pike, and musky. If I could relocate anywhere, it would be closer to the NW corner than Pittsburgh itself - look into the Meadville area. Eastern PA has some good fishing, but few big lakes and with more population they get a lot more crowded. The Susquehanna River used to be a world-class smallmouth fishery, but various forms of pollution and other problems have severely impacted that fishery compared to what it used to be. I'm stuck in Eastern PA but would go back to Western PA in a split-second if I could. Hunting depends on who you talk to - we have great turkey hunting, good waterfowl in certain areas, and good deer hunting in some areas. I have many friends who belong to private clubs, land leases, etc. and many deer hunters travel to surrounding states where the deer are not as pressured. Taxes are about average, and much lower then NY state.

[Big dreams]

Thank you all, that's good information. I am noticing not many lakes have housing directly on them. Is the pretty standard?

[ttranger]

Yes, there are very few lakes, except for private lake communities, that have developed shorelines.

[krindgen]

I live just outside Phila. All my public water fishing is done out of state and there isn't much for the bank beater either. You could go northeastern and be close to NY which has everything for the outdoorsman. Or northwest close to the Great Lakes. Taxes vary widely in my neighboring areas.

[steinybass]

I live in the south western part of the state. I have a bunch of lakes with in like 3 hrs of here. Its around 3 hrs to Erie, 2 hrs to Raystown, 30 minutes to the Yough dam. Depending on where and how you go I can be on the rivers in Pittsburgh in 1 hr to 2 hrs. Also have Deep creek in MD along with Cheat lake and Stonewall Jackson in WV. And some small trolling motor lake also close by. I am looking at moving south because I can't stand snow and cold anymore. My winters are boring to say the least.

[Big dreams]

How much snow do you guys get on the western part of the state? The weather trackers I saw said very low snowfall.

[billwvu05]

How much snow do you guys get on the western part of the state? The weather trackers I saw said very low snowfall.

Depends on where you are in the western part. North of I-80 gets the heavy lake effect snow through the winter and the Laurel Highlands get a decent amount of snow typically. The lower elevations don't get the amounts these locations do, cold and rainy is more the norm. Northwestern PA is the place to be in my opinion, especially with the steelhead to keep you busy through the winter.

[bassnut1]

Your original post says you can live almost anywhere in Pa. if your job includes traveling much, you might want to look at the Harrisburg area. Airport is easy to navigate. Every highway that goes to major cities in the northeast goes through HBG. You will have Susquehanna River right there, 3 hours or less to Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. Five hours to finger lakes in NY. Weather fairly stable all year.

[Pagregss]

If fishing and hunting are a priority, I'd suggest North Central PA. Potter, Tioga, Bradford counties. A lot of good lakes and you're close to many of the finger lakes in NY. It is a very rural area, though, so you will have to drive to get to most things.

[Fx20 2011]

Pennsylvania. The western part of Pa holds some very nice bass fishing, most of it under the radar of most people. Doesn't matter what type of boat or HP you have. From the N.Y. boarder to MD, Ohio and WV. you will find great bass fishing. I have more water than I can fish in a year with my bass boat. Look at a map, none of them are a long drive. You have choices between big water like Erie, rivers like the Allegheny, Ohio and the Mon. Many lakes that give you a wide choice of fishing from clear water and rocky to shallow more grassy lakes. So every day fishing can be fun, exciting and diverse. In addition there are electric only or limited HP lakes that are small enough that you can fish with just your trolling motor.

There are some private lakes that have homes but for the most part the flood control lakes do not,one that does is the Youghiogheny Dam.

Taxes, well unless your going to Florida they are not that high. I mean own a big home in Allegheny County then pay a lot. Own a house in another county then you would not even notice the taxes. You can check that out when you pick an see a to live.

I will note for the most part the fishing waters in our part of the state are not extremly over crowded.

[PolarKraft195]

Love fishing Pa., but would never live in Pa. Taxes too high, and the governor is an a$$hole (guarantee, not ONE person here will disagree about the governor! )

[Big dreams]

PolarKraft, which tax(s) do you think are high compared to Ohio? Serious question, not trying to start anything.