Fishing Reports and info for Tioga County, Pine Creek, & Surrounding Waterways
Welcome to the new fishing report blog from Tackle Shack. Bookmark this page to easily reference fishing reports, ice conditions, and fishing updates for Tioga County and the surrounding waterways.
3/27/2025
The lakes are thawed and anglers are fishing most of them. The docks are currently not in yet at the Corps lakes, but a few people have been out catching bass, perch, and crappies. Water temps are in the low to mid 40's. Hills Creek has been popular this week with good catches of pickerel, bass, and perch on a variety of live baits and artificials. Hamilton has been stocked and trout are being caught from shore and by boat. Wooly buggers, stonefly nymphs, Joe's flies spinners, powerbait, butterworms, and small jerkbaits are all working for the trout. Please keep in mind, trout season is closed and trout must be released.
Mentored Youth Trout Day is this Saturday! Take the kids out to enjoy some preseason trout fishing fun. Stop in for a Mentored youth permit or voluntary youth fishing license. These are also available online. It's looking like a warm and fun day for fishing!
The Keystone Select Stretch on Pine Creek is fishing well. Anglers are catching them on nymphs, streamers, and a ton of different hard baits and spinners. Natural colors seemed to be best this week. Redfin minnow imitations are proving to be super effective again this season too!
3/16/2025
Almost all of the ice has melted off of the lakes. What little is left should be gone very quickly with heavy, warm rains moving through the area today. Spring is almost here! Get your gear ready for a fun and exciting season!
3/8/2025
People are fishing on Hills Creek and Beechwood. Ice is starting to deteriorate on the other lakes and should continue to thaw through the latter part of next week. Temps in the 60's should clear off a bunch of the ice cover. Water levels are still up on most of the streams. Conditions should improve after the weekend.
3/4/2025
Good reports today from Hills Creek Lake and anglers are fishing Nessmuk, Hammond, and Beechwood as well. Heavy rain is expected tomorrow and the Corps lakes will likely be unfishable for the season by the end of the week. Hills Creek and Beechwood will likely be fishable this weekend still. Always check conditions yourself before going out on the ice! Conditions can change fast in March, especially with warm rain.
Fishing has also been very good in the Tioga spillway. Nice walleyes are being caught in good numbers on small swimbaits, shiners, and shad colors crankbaits. Walleye season is open till March 14th.
2/28/2025
Rain these past few days has ensured Ice season is soon coming to an end, but anglers reported being out today on Hills Creek, Nessmuk, and Beechwood. Hamilton has come up and pulled away from the edge. Anglers noted some water at the launch on Nessmuk, but 10+ inches of ice on the lake still. We should squeeze out another week or two, though conditions can change fast in March. Use a spud bar, monitor conditions, and be safe out there. We are open 6am-6pm with plenty of live bait in stock and tons of great end of season DEALS going on now!
2/25/2025
Ice remains in good shape as we head into March. Most lakes have 12+ inches of ice and no snow cover. A few warmer days are expected this week, but night time lows below freezing will keep the ice in good shape. Reports have been mixed all week. Nessmuk has fished excellent with lots of action and a mix of small panfish, plus keeper sized sunfish and large perch. Hills Creek has had consistent action with bluegills. Beechwood was just stocked last week and some trout are being caught. Remember trout season is closed, but both Hamilton and Beechwood are open to fishing. The Corps lakes have dirtied up some and fishing has been slower, but anglers are still finding nice crappies at Hammond and plenty of bluegills. Few reports from Cowanesque this week.
2/18/2025
Little to update this past week. Conditions remain about the same as below on all of the lake. Some snow came down on Saturday, but turned to rain on Sunday and has since all refrozen solid. Remember trout season is now closed meaning Lyman Run Lake is now closed to fishing. Both Hamilton and Beechwood Lakes are open, but trout must be released.
2/9/2025
The lakes remain in good shape again this week. A few inches of snow is on the ice now, and thicknesses range from 8-14+ inches on the local lakes. Anglers are catching a variety of fish and most noted the mornings and evening bites to be best. Waxworms continue to be the preferred bait for panfish. Popular jig colors include wonderbread, chartreuse, silver, gold, black, and pink/chartreuse.
1/31/2025
Little change in ice conditions this week. We are expecting a little rain today. We will take a look at some of the lakes in a few days. Cold nights will maintain conditions and we expect fishable ice through the weekend, as long as the water levels don't rise. Hills Creek, Nessmuk, and Beechwood will be less affected than the Corps lakes and Hamilton. Regardless of where you go, be sure to check conditions yourself before heading out.
Overall, the bite has been pretty solid this past week with good reports coming in from all of the smaller lakes. Most noted a good morning bite for a variety of panfish. Cloudy periods seem to be fishing better. What little snow was on the lakes will be melted today. It is going to be extremely slick on all of the lakes. Be sure to have cleats.
***1/24/25 Tackle Shack – Tioga County, PA ICE Update***
Good COLD weather and a few subzero nights has helped built a significant amount of ice across the county. Conditions are expected to moderate this weekend and we’re setting up for an absolutely beautiful weekend for ice fishing! People were on all of the lakes today and conditions are the best we have seen in years. Very little snow is on the lakes and most of the ice is clear, black ice!
Still, it is important to note that conditions are variable and these reports are for your reference only! ALWAYS check conditions yourself before venturing onto any frozen waterway.
Beechwood- A few people were fishing near the launch. Edges are solid and we measured 12 to almost 13 inches of mostly black ice! Customers have reported catching a bunch of panfish and some trout lately.
Cowanesque- A few people were fishing around the launches. We marked 9-9.5” near the south shore launch. Panfish and a few muskies and bass have been reported this week.
Hammond- A few people were fishing towards Pine Camp. There is nearly 0 snow on Hammond and it is very slick. Cleats are a must. At the launch, we measured 10-10.5”
Hills Creek State Park- Hills had the most snow on it, with a very thin blanket covering the lake. We measured 10 to just under 11 off the stumps end and just under 11 at the Pines launch. A few anglers were fishing no both ends. Most have reported a decent panfish bite in the morning with tight lipped fish mid day.
Hamilton- A few people were fishing near the tower and around the dam end. Access from the boat launch was no issue and we measured just under 12” of ice here.
Nessmuk- A handful of anglers were fishing here today. The ice is still varied, but has thickened quite a bit. We measured 9-11 inches off the launch. Again most is clear black ice.
Good luck and be safe out there. We’re open 6am-6pm all weekend for all of your ice fishing needs! This is the best conditions we have had in a long time. Get out and enjoy it!!!
1/16/25 Tackle Shack – Tioga County, PA ICE Update
Conditions continue to improve as we enter another great weekend of ice fishing! Anglers were out on all of the lakes we checked today and we expect a busy weekend across the region. It is important to note that conditions are still quite variable from spot to spot. The way the lakes froze under windy conditions, the ice formed differently from spot to spot. There will be spots of thicker ice and spots of thinner and potentially dangerous ice on all the lakes. These reports are for your reference only! AlWAYS check conditions yourself before venturing onto any frozen body of water. Currently there is almost no snow on most of the lakes and they are very slick. Be sure to have cleats! Currently (~2PM) a light snow is coming down.
Water appears very clear on all of the lakes currently.
Beechwood- A few people were fishing near the launch and along the road side. Ice coming from the launch measured 9-9.5”. Customers have reported the back side is a few inches thinner.
Hammond- A few people were fishing near Pine Camp. The edges at the boat launch were hard and access was no problem. Ice measured about 6.5” of clear black ice .
Hills Creek State Park- There is a light coating of snow on parts of the lake here. Access was no issue at either launch. Ice measured about 7-7.5” on the stumps end. Near the Pines launch, we measured about 8.5” . Saturday is Winterfest at Hills Creek. Stop by the park for some other fun activities too.
Hamilton- A bunch of people were fishing the dam end. We got on the lake at the launch and found 7.5-9” of clear black ice.
Nessmuk- A few people were on the dam end here. Ice is quite variable between the new ice that capped last week and the older ice sheet. Wind had kept the lake open and broken off some of the shoreline ice. Because of this, there is a clump of reeds in the middle of the lake, and there’s a good chance that a lot of the older ice has debris in it. Ice measured 4-8”. Currently the divide is visible, but with a dusting of snow, you will not be able to see it.
We did not have time to check Cowanesque today. We have not had reports of people fishing it yet.
Good luck and be safe out there. We are stocked up and ready to help you have a great weekend of ice fishing!
1/10/2025 Tioga County, PA ICE Update
It’s a glorious day in Tioga County and the ice season is upon us! However, I cannot stress enough that conditions will be highly variable. Wind kept patches open on most of the lakes early in the week. Because of this, you will find areas of thinner and potentially dangerous ice. It finally laid down and every lake is frozen solid.
The lakes were making more ice all day and sub freezing weather is expected throughout the next week. These reports are for your reference ONLY. Use a spud bar and ALWAYS check conditions yourself before venturing onto any frozen body of water.
Currently we have mostly black ice on all of the lakes and little snow cover. Thus, it is VERY slick out there. Be sure to wear cleats!
Beechwood- A few anglers were fishing here today, coming off the boat launch. The back side was the last place to freeze completely. A few trout were biting in the morning. Ice measured 7-8”of clear ice. Edge was solid.
Cowanesque- The lake is frozen end to end from what we could see. We stopped at South Shore boat launch and measured about 3.5” of clear ice not far off the launch. Again, there was open water on much of this earlier in the week.
Hammond- Hammond is frozen solid, though there is some water on the ice at the launch from the ice heaving near shore. One small group was fishing near 287, and we measured just over 4” of clear ice near the launch.
Hills Creek State Park- Hills has a dusting of snow in spots. People were fishing off both the stumps end, and the Pines launch. We measured just over 5” of mostly clear ice at the beaver huts launch. At the Pines launch, we measured just over 7”.
Hamilton- A few people were fishing the dam end near the dam and the tower. We walked on at the boat launch with no issue. There is very little snow on the lake here too. Ice measured just over 5” in this area. We did not check the dam end.
Nessmuk- Unfortunately, wind pounded Nessmuk and kept it from freezing solid till last night. Yesterday the lake was roughly 1/3 open water. This has all frozen and the line between old and new ice is currently easy to see. This will not be fishable for a few more days. We will try to check back on Sunday or Monday.
Good luck and be safe out there!
1/7/2025
Hills Creek has capped over completely again and is making ice! The center of the lake still had open water over the weekend, but that is all frozen again now. We will be posting Tioga County ice updates on Friday and it looks almost certain that we’ll be fishing a good majority of the local lakes this weekend!
Remember to ALWAYS check conditions yourself before venturing onto any frozen body of water. Conditions will be highly variable to start the season with the warm/thaw pattern we have experienced these past few weeks.
**1/3/2025 Tioga County, PA ICE Update**
Happy New Year! Unfortunately, warm weather early in the week has deteriorated conditions on the Tioga County Lakes, BUT cold weather is expected through the coming weeks and we will almost certainly be fishing next weekend on a good majority of the smaller lakes. Currently, all of the smaller lakes are mostly capped and should freeze solid again by the end of the weekend. We will report back again soon. Temps look great to have a wonderful January season on the ice very soon!
Don't forget to purchase your 2025 fishing licenses too!
***12/27/2024 Tioga County ICE Update***
These reports are for your reference only. ALWAYS check conditions yourself before venturing onto the ice. With snow last week and warmer weather expected this weekend, conditions are going to be variable with areas of thicker and thinner ice. The snow from last week has melted down and refroze in many spots creating a layer of soft white ice. Some spots are crusted over with a layer of slush, then a layer of ice. This will soften quickly as highs reach the mid 40’s, especially with rain on Sunday. There has been anglers fishing on Hamilton, Beechwood, and Hills Creek. If you go out, use a spud and constantly check conditions wherever you are planning to fish.
Beechwood- A few people were out today. Edge was solid at the launch with no issues accessing the ice. Near the launch, ice measured about 5” with roughly 3” of clear ice and 2” of cloudy ice over top. There are some wet spots with 3” of ice and 1-2” of slush/water on top. This could tighten up overnight but will begin to thaw quickly as it warms up again. Ice thinned farther from the launch towards the middle of the lake. Did not check the back side.
Hills Creek State Park - Edges at both launches are hard with no issues accessing the ice. Similarly here, the bottom 2-3” is clear with a layer of frozen slush over top. We measured 4-4.5” off the stumps end. Ice at the Pines launch was slightly thicker, measuring just over 5” near the dock and thinning to 4” farther out with a layer of slush on top.
Hamilton- The lake is frozen solid and we had no issue getting on at the dock. A few sled tracks were down closer to the dam, but we did not check this area. From the dock, we measured 4-5.5” ice with 3-4” of clear ice and a layer of frozen slush over top. With rain and snow melt coming, the lake will likely dirty and raise early next week.
Nessmuk- The edge is solid and accessing from the launch was no problem. We drilled a few holes straight out from the launch measuring just under 5”. No one has been fishing here and we did not have time to check more areas. This was the last of our smaller lakes to freeze completely.
Hammond is also frozen. We did not stop to check conditions.
Good luck fishing and be safe out there. We will report again next Friday after the warm spell.
For pictures and more info see our Facebook page here- https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18Kyp2MHBS/
***12/21/2024 Tioga County ICE Update***
Happy First Day of Winter and a beautiful one it is! Highs in the teens and lows near 0 will help build ice throughout the weekend, though a 2-3+ inches snow will slow the building. Highs are expected to stay near or below freezing through the next week in the region.
These Reports are for your reference only! ALWAYS check conditions yourself before venturing onto any frozen body of water.
Hills Creek State Park - Hills Creek is capped end to end. Edges are solid at both the Pines launch and the stumps end. Ice is thicker near shore and thins farther out. Conditions should continue to improve, but most measurements were still 3" or less and unsuitable to continue across the lake.
Beechwood - The parking lot and road is not plowed and is a bit slippery. The edge is solid, but we only measured just under 3" here with a bit more snow than the other lakes.
Hamilton- Hamilton appears to be up a little and there is open water by the dock. The edge on the dam end is thin and weak. We were unable to access the lake.
Nessmuk- There is a large patch of open water towards the middle of the lake. This should lock up this weekend.
**12/16/2024 Tioga County ICE Update**
The Lakes are primed and we're a few cold days away from ice fishing. Heavy snow came down last night, blanketing all of the lakes in a few inches of snow/slush. Warmer weather these next few days will melt this off and frigid temps this weekend should continue to help conditions improve.
These reports are for your reference only. ALWAYS check conditions yourself before venturing onto the ice.
Hills Creek State Park- We stopped at the beaver huts launch (stumps end) and found close to 3.5" of ice near shore, but that quickly tapered to 2.5" a few feet past that. The lake is nearly completely frozen with a nice base of clear ice. It shouldn't be too much longer till we are fishing here if the weather cooperates.
Beechwood- The lake is frozen solid except for a few wet patches along the dam area. At the boat launch, the edge is frozen, and ice a few feet out measured just under 3" of clear ice. Again, it shouldn't be too much longer till we are fishing here.
Nessmuk- There is still a patch of open water around the middle of the lake. Birds and wind helped keep that open.
Hamilton- The lake is mostly frozen with wet spots on the road side shoreline and scattered throughout the main sheet. The creek mouth is also partially open. This warmup will likely open up some holes and cracks in the next few days.
Think cold thoughts and let's get out on the ice soon! Be patient and be sure to ALWAYS check conditions yourself before ice fishing. We will check back again later this week.
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