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Pennsylvania · Fishing
Tuscarora Township sits in a quiet corner of Perry County, Pennsylvania, and its fishing options reflect that low-key character.
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Tuscarora Township sits in a quiet corner of Perry County, Pennsylvania, and its fishing options reflect that low-key character. The three stillwater spots here — Mill Creek Reservoir, Long Swamp, and Beaver Meadow Pond — are all lake and pond fisheries, which means you're working structure, weed edges, and depth changes rather than reading current. That suits a wide range of anglers, from someone casting a bobber-and-worm rig from the bank to someone working soft plastics around submerged timber. None of these waters appear in the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's list of Gold Medal or Wild Trout designations, so expect a mixed warm-water and stocked fishery rather than a destination trout stream. What you do get is accessible, uncrowded water in a rural township where you're unlikely to be fighting for a spot. If you're driving in from outside the county, it's worth combining a visit to more than one of these sites in a single trip since they're all relatively compact waters and a half-day can cover two of them comfortably.
All three are classified as lake fisheries, which in central Pennsylvania typically means largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and chain pickerel as the core warm-water species. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission also stocks many smaller ponds and reservoirs in the region with trout in spring and fall, but you should check the PFBC's current stocking report before your trip to confirm whether any of these specific waters are on the schedule.
Yes. Any angler 16 or older needs a valid Pennsylvania fishing license to fish any of these waters. If you're targeting trout during stocked seasons, you'll also need a current trout/salmon permit in addition to the base license. Licenses are available through the PFBC website or at local sporting goods retailers.
Long Swamp
~1 min drive
A worthwhile stop near PA.
Lackawanna Lake - Lackawanna State Park
~47 min drive
Easy
Loyalsock Creek - World's End State Park
~50 min drive
Moderate
Mill Creek Reservoir
~2 min drive
A worthwhile stop near PA.
Beaver Meadow Pond
~3 min drive
A worthwhile stop near PA.
Malone Swamp
~16 min drive
A worthwhile stop near PA.
Stowell Pond
~17 min drive
A worthwhile stop near PA.
Little Elk Lake
~19 min drive
A worthwhile stop near PA.
Ackleys Pond
~20 min drive
A worthwhile stop near PA.
Mud Pond
~23 min drive
A worthwhile stop near PA.
Lake Wesauking
~23 min drive
A worthwhile stop near PA.
Lake Nadine
~26 min drive
A worthwhile stop near PA.
A medium-light to medium spinning rod in the 6- to 7-foot range covers most situations across all three sites. For bass and pickerel, soft plastics, small spinnerbaits, and weedless rigs are practical choices given the likely vegetation along pond edges. For panfish and crappie, a light rod with a small jig or live bait under a float is hard to beat. Bring waders or knee boots if you want to access shallower areas of Long Swamp, which the name suggests may have marshy margins.
Early morning and the last two hours before sunset are consistently the most productive windows for warm-water species like bass and pickerel in stillwater settings. Midday in summer tends to push fish deeper or into shaded structure, so if you're fishing between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. in July or August, focus on deeper water or any visible shade. Spring and fall allow for more flexibility since water temperatures stay comfortable for fish throughout the day.
Pond and reservoir fishing is generally well-suited to beginners because you don't need to read moving water or make long casts. Bluegill and crappie in particular are willing biters and good for keeping younger anglers engaged. Beaver Meadow Pond and similar small impoundments often have accessible bank fishing without requiring a boat, though you should scout access points ahead of time since parking and bank conditions vary by site.
