Raystown Lake

[ChrisWalt]

heading to Raystown Lake in Central Pa in 10 days......anyone have some knowledge of potential hot spots for Walleye, smallies and musky on the lake. I will have a boat and be using live bait as well as lures....All opinions welcome

ChrisWalt

[dog2]

If we get no more rain in the next several days it might be fishable by then ;was mud from Shy beaver James creek area to the south end which is where you will find any Muskies they are few and farrr between.Walleyes good guess the inlet streeam in the spring produces a few,around Nancys camp sight a few but mostly early in the year .You might consider Crappies they are still on the bite Strippers are off and on now with lake traffic picking up,mainly nite fishing after june 1, account of boat traffic and pwc's. If we do get more rain the only place to fish will be the breast area,it will be still muddy but not thick enought to walk on . This is a hard lake to learn; been fishing it since before it was built; You have to put up with muddy runoff in the spring , the boat idiots in the summer, and stay away from it on the weekends . we have had between2 to 3 in. of rain in the last 3 days.If you like carp fishing find one of the back coves you can have a blast any thing from a 2#er to 30# plus.

[ChrisWalt]

I will be there Mon to Fri. June11 to 15th so boat traffic willhopefully not be a problem....Got a houseboat so I can fish at nite near shore for stripers.......any info on bronzebacks and largemouths

[dog2]

sriswalt have you ever been to raystown before? If not it is a basic highland impoundment built for flood control . flat under structure is not in abundance on this lake ,steep rock walls drop from shore to 100+feet in amatter of feet from shore. Then to they left standing timber from approx. mile marker 21 to near the breast deeptrolling is very limited. there are numerous poits to fish for smallies large mouth back deep in the inlets. forage in this lake is prolific ,bait fish will black out your fishfinder,food here is not an issue catching fish some days is the issue. If it is in your budget hire a guide for a day,if not goback to fishing 101.I will say that rattle traps do work well on strippers,and the bass , just checked the weather for today calling for up to 2in, of rain in the area in the next 2 days,so stay to the north end of the lake from Seven points north to the dam .If you do not hire a guide BUY agood lake mape for 5 bucks or so,they have the known spots marked. good luck and dont forget find a brush pile and fish for crappies if nothing else is biting.

[ChrisWalt]

Thanks dog2,,,,,,,,,,,,,,My plan is to fish from 7 pts to dam with alot of time spent back in the coves on the north end around mile marker 2 an 3. will use alot of spinnerbaits, rapalas, jigs and spoons (dardevles) and also shiners and nite crawlers. at nite I will try topark my boat near land that shows points and weed beds hoping to get stripers foraging near shore. looks like a plan to me

[dog2]

good plan for strippers also do not be afraid to fish the east side with 1/2 oz jigs and rattle traps early and late deep water .shad should be spawning on the rock walls.

[dog2]

chriswalt,how was your trip to raystown,drop email if you do not want to post .dog2

[ChrisWalt]

not too good dog2.........caught perch and crappies,,,,,,,,water very hard to read with no depth finder......fished coves very hard with no luck

[dog2]

even with fishfinder hard lake to fish. Its a hard lake to say 'iknow it ' .At least you did not get skunked!

[Stripehunter]

You got that right dog. Still my favorite place in the world though.