7/30/2026 Tioga County Fishing Report- Hammond Lake, Tioga Lake, Cowanesque Lake, Pine Creek and More

Tioga and Hammond Lake Fishing Report-

Pictured: Amy and George with 4 of their 6 fish limit from Day 1 of the 3 Day tournament.

Water temps are holding in the mid to upper 70's with varying water clarity ranging from clear to a heavy stain.  Recent rain has areas with incoming water (like creek mouths) a bit dirtier than the main lake.  The Tackle Shack 3 Day 3 Lake tournament this past weekend yielded lots of fish from both lakes.  Anglers on Hammond did well fishing weed beds and the dam.  Offshore structure produced some bass, mostly smaller ones.  Anglers on Tioga did best targeting weeds, dam rip rap and fallen timber throughout the lake.  Don't overlook the channel.  Both smallmouth and largemouth are holding here.

Crappies are holding on structure offshore.  Look for porcupine cribs and similar structure in 10-15 feet of water.  

Bullheads and a few channel cats are being caught from the primitive camping area and along route 287.

Check out the Tackle Shack 3 Day 3 Lake Bass Tournament results - Tournament Results 

Hammond Lake is officially under Panfish Enhancement Regulations.  Anglers may harvest 20 crappies measuring at least 9".   This only affects Hammond Lake.  

Cowanesque Lake Fishing Report

Water temps are holding in the mid to upper 70's with varying water clarity ranging from very clear to milky to heavy stain.  The upper end is dirty, but plenty fishable, even after the heavy rains this week.  

Cowanesque has been tough fishing for most bass anglers, though a few really nice fish were weighed in at Sunday's event.  Bass are being caught on a variety of baits and the best fishing has been near shallow timber and weedbeds.  Some are also being caught around the dam and on offshore rockpiles.  

Catfish anglers have reported a good bite all week and live shiners or nightcrawlers both worked well.  Bullheads and channel cats are being caught at Nelson falls and at various spots near Lawrence Recreation area

Some muskies were caught again this week.  Live suckers have been particularly popular.  Buzzbaits also produced a few muskies near weed beds.

Check out the Tackle Shack 3 Day 3 Lake Bass Tournament results - Tournament Results 

Hills Creek Lake Fishing Report

Frogs are still working, but subsurface has been much better lately.  Yamamoto Unis have been particularly popular here fished on both a neko and dropshot rig.  Jigs and creature baits around stumps and lily pad edges are also producing nice bass as well as pickerel

Bluegills are being caught on 1-2" mister twisters, trout magnets, redworms, and meal worms.  Some crappies and perch were mixed in and targeting deeper weed lines has been best.

Hamilton Lake Fishing Report

Bass are being caught around the weeds on both ends of the lake.  Topwater fishing has been good in the evenings. Whopper Ploppers and buzzbaits are both working.  Plenty of bluegills are being caught from shore using red worms and nightcrawlers.

Beechwood Lake Fishing Report

Wacky rigged senkos, and texas rigged creature baits around the weeds and dam  produced some bass.  Frog fishing around the lily pads and weeds is also producing. Don't be afaid to cast deep into the lily pads.  Some bass are holding very shallow near shorelines as well as closer to the edges and pockets.    

Nessmuk Lake Fishing Report

Some nice bass has been caught this week using swimbaits and chatterbaits on deeper structure and weed lines.  From shore, the dam has fished best, though plenty of bluegills and some crappies are being caught from the dock too.  

Pine Creek Fishing Report

Pine is near normal summer flows.  Some rain cool nights have helped temps hold in more favorable levels.  Some trout were caught using roostertails and gold mepps spinners.  Butterworms and live minnows are also working.  Fly anglers are doing best with streamers or nymphs in deeper pockets of holding water.

The smallmouth bite was good this week with Keitech swimbaits and ned rigged crawfish.  Live shiners and fatheads are also working.  Anglers noted more catfish this week too, particularly at the spillways.

Lyman Run Lake Fishing Report - Potter County

Lyman Run is fishing well with anglers catching quite a few bass and panfish. Ned rigs and wacky rigged worms around the weeds and rocks are both working for bass.  Be prepared with bug spray and long sleeved clothing.  The black flies have been a nuisance.

Tackle Shack Tip of the Week-

Many fish are keyed in on small gizzard shad at Tioga and Hammond, and bitesize alewives on Cowanesque.  Keep this in mind when choosing colors.  White/Shad/Silver colors tend to work well through the late summer and fall, particularly with moving baits (like spinnerbaits or chatterbaits).  For plastics, green pumpkin, baby bass, and shad, are great colors for baitfish imitations.