Pinchot Lake
Fishing and stocking
Stocked through the 2025 season program: channel catfish and hybrid striped bass; 5,700 fish in the published allocation. A 358-acre reservoir, and one of 14 stocked waters on the York County record.
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What swims here
Channel catfish
Hybrid striped bass (wiper)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 season | Channel catfish | yearling | 1,700 |
| 2025 season | Hybrid striped bass (wiper) | fingerling | 4,000 |
When to fish Pinchot Lake
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:44-11:44 am and 10:07 pm-12:07 am | 4:01-5:01 am and 4:17-5:17 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:30 am-12:30 pm and 10:54 pm-12:54 am | 5:09-6:09 am and 4:41-5:41 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 2025 season program
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Pennsylvania fishing forecast
Getting on the water
| Access point | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pinchot State Park - Boat Mooring #1 | boat ramp | no fee |
| Pinchot State Park - Boat Mooring #2 | boat ramp | no fee |
| Pinchot State Park - Boat Mooring #3 | boat ramp | no fee |
| Pinchot State Park Campground | boat ramp | no fee |
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 catfish (channel catfish on the season program here, stillwater)
| Medium-heavy rod | 7 ft medium-heavy, 15 to 20 lb line, sturdy reel |
| Circle hooks on a slip-sinker rig | 2/0 to 5/0 circles on a Carolina rig; let them load up |
| Cut bait and prepared baits | fresh cut shad or chicken liver; scent is everything |
For the striped bass and hybrids (hybrid striped bass (wiper) on the season program here, stillwater)
| Medium-heavy rod | 7 ft with 15 lb line minimum; hybrids hit like freight |
| Flutter spoons and swimbaits | match the shad; count down to suspended fish |
| Live or cut shad | the reservoir standard where legal |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bermudian Creek | 4.9 mi | Apr 7 |
| Latimore Creek | 10 mi | Apr 7 |
| Susquehanna River | 11 mi | 2026 season |
| Yellow Breeches Creek | 11 mi | May 8 |
| Swatara Creek | 11 mi | 2026 season |
Follow York County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule