Gouldsboro Lake

Gouldsboro Lake in Pa is located in the northeastern part of the state. Gouldsboro Lake is part of Gouldsboro State Park, which lies across Wayne and Monroe counties and is famous for boating and fishing. Gouldsboro is an artificial lake with warm water and ice fishing.

Game fish species like bass, pickerel, walleye, yellow perch, catfish, sunfish, and muskellunge attract anglers to the 250-acre Gouldsboro Lake in Pa. The state park beach is open to the public in the summer months, and there’s a prohibition on gas-powered boats on this lake.

History

The town of Goldsboro was established between 1863 and 1892, initially named after industrialist Jay Gould. In 1895, the North Jersey and Pocono Mountain Ice Company built a spillway and dam where a lake existed, harvesting ice in winter.

The lake was taken over by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission in 1956, and Gouldsboro National Park opened in 1958. In 2003, Gouldsboro Lake and the park were transferred to the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources, or DCNR.

By 1979, however, the dam’s spillway and drain gate had deteriorated to the point of being inoperable, and partial draining was performed for repairs between 1985 and 1995. Another drain, this time fully, was done from 2005 until 2008, and apart from repairing the spillway, debris was removed, a culvert was installed, and measures against erosion were put in place.

Gouldsboro State Park

Gouldsboro State Park in Monroe and Wayne counties in northeastern Pennsylvania spans 2,800 acres and has become a popular destination to getting away, exploring the wildlife, and experiencing incredible fishing. Gouldsboro State Park is open every day of the year from sunrise to sunset. In addition, there is a sand beach at Gouldsboro State Park that’s open from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend until mid-September from 8 am to sunset.

The park office has specific hours; visitors can find them by contacting the Tobyhanna State Park office. The state park’s entrance is a half-mile south of the Gouldsboro village. Visitors at Gouldsboro State Park can experience hiking, picnicking, swimming, wildlife viewing, boating, fishing, hunting, and biking. Pets are allowed in Gouldsboro State Park, but dogs must remain leashed and cleaned up after.

Gouldsboro Lake Fishing

With 26 acres of open water, anglers can expect to find channel catfish, bluegill, crappie, walleye, tiger muskie, pumpkinseed, or largemouth and smallmouth bass. For three years, the lake had been shut down for repairs, after which it was refilled and restocked.

This area is particularly famed for ice fishing, with nearby water bodies that freeze fast in winter, attracting ice anglers from all over the country. Gouldsboro Lake lies between Wayne and Monroe counties, PA, off Route 507, and offers spring fishing and renewed bass, crappie, walleye, bluegill, and muskie stocks.

This artificial reservoir took less time to refill post-repairs than was expected, but by the fall of 2009, it was at complete pool with no bare spots on the upper reaches. In 2010, fisherfolk started noticing the level of strikes for various warm and cold water fish, and anglers began flocking to the dam mostly on weekends.

Restocking also included spot-tail and golden shiners, leading to an increase in the variety of gamefish species. In addition, great catches, such as 14-inch bass, have been hauled out of Gouldsboro, and boat concessions are available from 7 am to 6 pm.

Big Bass Lake

The waters of Big Bass Lake, Gouldsboro, PA, were long restocked with premium bass species, and anglers now speak of being satisfied with strikes on this reservoir. Spring has become the best time to reel in smallmouth and largemouth bass, especially near the island or around the stumps.

This lake’s bass-rich areas also include the far or upper side of the dam, as well as opposite the boat concession area.

According to locals, an old icehouse wall extends from the point for 30 feet, only 6 inches from the water’s surface. The channel down the lake’s center is also recommended for bass, while the rocky cove has stumps that are productive early in the morning, evening, and even at night.

Big Bass Lake is a four-season lake where fishing continues through the ice and warm waters. It’s the largest of the three Gouldsboro lakes with a shallower western end that heats up faster and offers productive bass strikes.

Gouldsboro Lake in Pa Boat Rentals

Gouldsboro Lake is a gem for boaters and anglers, with its large expanse of open water and forested, secluded areas. You can tow in an electric-powered boat to launch from the public ramp or rent one from one of the concessions along the shoreline, which you’ll moor in any of the 50 available spaces.

Paddleboats, kayaks, rowboats, canoes, and any electric-powered crafts are allowed on Gouldsboro Lake, but gas-powered boats are prohibited. Your boat should display its registration, a launching or mooring permit for the Tobyhanna State Park, as well as from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

The lake is open daily, except when weather conditions don’t allow it; when the snow falls, it’s time for ice fishing.

Gouldsboro Lake Depth

Gouldsboro Lake is 8.6 feet at its deepest point, in the center of the main water body facing the dam. The lake, accessible via boat ramps, lies on 264 acres at an elevation of 1893 feet above sea level.

Gouldsboro Lake becomes a versatile ice-fishing destination when temperatures drop, and the southern part is much shallower, weed-infested, and rich in fish. This lake is managed and owned by the PA Game Commission, which prohibits any motor-powered craft except electric boats.

With surface-type lures like Rebels or Rapalas, you can toss your fly into this lake near the surface vegetation or use weedless spoons with pork strips for baiting bass. If you prefer live bait, you can fish slowly with plastic worms, but go for shiners in the stumpy, rocky, or logged-up area.

Eagle Lake

Eagle Lake is in Monroe County, about 3.7 miles from East Stroudsburg in Pennsylvania, US. This lake is open for fly, trolling, or spin fishing, and anglers can expect trout, walleye, bluegill, and bass here, among others.

The lake’s elevation of around 5,105 feet supports exceptional water quality and clarity, with anglers offering catch-and-keep recommendations.

Lake Charter Captains

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Thriving Lakes

The lakes in the Gouldsboro area of southeast Pennsylvania show how everything can come together for an angler’s good with time. Artificial reservoirs like Gouldsboro Lake in Wayne and Monroe Counties, which is part of the 250-acre state park, have remained consistent in terms of game and panfish.

There are exceptional yellow perch, bluegill, and bass populations, as well as an excellent availability of black crappie, most of which are between seven and nine inches.

Lakes in Gouldsboro also offer locals and vacationers great canoeing, boating, kayaking, and ice fishing, where catches such as an 11 ¼-pound largemouth were reeled in a few years back. These fisheries and areas of PA are a must-visit for anglers of all ages and skill levels to experience with their friends and family to create memories of a lifetime.

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