Blue Marsh Lake
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Walleye, hybrid striped bass, and 2 other species water, stocked through the 2026 season program; 122,950 fish in the published allocation. A 1,178-acre reservoir, and one of 19 stocked waters on the Berks County record. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.
Berks County · Pennsylvania · see it on the national map
Water temp 60 °F at Tulpehocken Cr at Blue Marsh Damsite near Reading, 5 km away USGS site 01470960 · read 8:15 pm this evening
What swims here
Walleye
Hybrid striped bass (wiper)
Muskellunge
Tiger muskellunge
Season program record
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission publishes this water by season or program window, not by dated schedule, so there are no truck dates to list; the rows below are the published program allocations. The Pennsylvania season shape statewide: mid-february into october.
Agency feed checked today.
| Season | Species | Size | Fish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 season | Walleye | fingerling | 57,400 |
| 2025 season | Hybrid striped bass (wiper) | fingerling | 7,250 |
| 2025 season | Muskellunge | yearling | 450 |
| 2025 season | Tiger muskellunge | yearling | 450 |
| 2025 season | Walleye | fingerling | 57,400 |
When to fish Blue Marsh Lake
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:41-11:41 am and 10:04 pm-12:04 am | 3:57-4:57 am and 4:14-5:14 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:27 am-12:27 pm and 10:51 pm-12:51 am | 5:06-6:06 am and 4:37-5:37 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).
What the record actually says
- Stocked through the 2026 season program
- Water 60 °F at a gauge 5 km away
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Pennsylvania fishing forecast
Getting on the water
| Access point | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Brooks Boat Launch | boat ramp | fee charged |
| Sheidy Road | boat ramp | no fee |
| State Hill Boat Launch | boat ramp | fee charged |
Access points from PA Fish and Boat Commission access records. Ramps, fees, and hours change; check before towing a boat a long way.
Gear for this water
For the walleye (walleye on the season program here, stillwater)
| Crawler harness | slow-trolled over flats and breaks once water warms |
| Medium spinning rod | 6.5 to 7 ft medium, 8 lb line; sensitivity beats power here |
| Jigging raps and blade baits | vertical over deep structure in the cold months |
For the muskie and pike (muskellunge on the season program here, stillwater)
| Large bucktails and gliders | big profile baits; finish every cast with a figure-eight |
| Steel or heavy fluoro leader | non-negotiable; pike and muskie cut everything else |
| Oversized landing net | a stocked muskie fishery deserves a proper release tool |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Named as published by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Each link opens the official text; read the rule there before you fish. We do not restate regulations.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Northkill Creek | 3.2 mi | Apr 10 |
| Maiden Creek | 7.0 mi | Feb 24 |
| Tulpehocken Creek | 7.2 mi | Oct 14 |
| Willow Creek | 7.5 mi | Apr 21 |
| Wyomissing Creek | 8.2 mi | Mar 11 |
Follow Berks County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule