Foster Joseph Sayers Lake

Centre County, Pennsylvania

The centerpiece of Bald Eagle State Park near Howard. It's a Panfish Enhancement lake, and it holds good crappie and yellow perch along with bass and tiger muskie.

Air temp in Howard, PA Loading current temperature…

Red pins match the numbered boat launches below. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Foster Joseph Sayers Lake (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area1,730 acres

Max depth—

Shoreline23 mi

Boat motorsUnlimited (45 mph max)

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Crappie●●●●○

Panfish Enhancement rules keep sizes up. Brush and timber in spring.

Largemouth Bass●●●●○

Coves, wood, and weed edges.

Yellow Perch●●●○○

Good through the ice on the 630 acres open in winter.

Tiger Muskellunge●●●○○

Cruises weed edges. Bucktails and jerkbaits.

Smallmouth Bass●●●○○

Rocky points on the main lake.

Channel Catfish●●●○○

Evenings on flats near the inflows.

Boat launches

7 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

1Hunter Run West LaunchPublic
By Russell P. Letterman Campground. Open 24 hoursDirections ↗
2Hunter Run East LaunchPublic
Off East Launch Rd. Open 24 hoursDirections ↗
3Bald Eagle Boat Launch (Howard)Public
Lighted. Open 24 hoursDirections ↗
Winter LaunchPublic
North of the beach. Open year-round, ADA fishing pierDirections ↗
Lower Greens Run LaunchPublic
Off PA 150. Fishing pierDirections ↗
Upper Greens Run LaunchPublic
Off PA 150Directions ↗
Bald Eagle MarinaMarina
369 slips, boat rentals and gas in seasonDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Special rules for this lake, confirmed from official state regulations. Minimum size and daily limit.

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Crappie (black and white) No more than 5 fish 9 in or longer; total panfish not to exceed 50	See Pennsylvania rules book ↗	10 / day combined
Sunfish Panfish Enhancement	7 in	20 / day (50 panfish combined)

Other species in this lake: look up the limits at Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission ↗

Verified October 2026. Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Dunham's Sports15.1 mi
2901 East College Avenue, State College · closest to Bald Eagle Boat Launch (Howard)(814) 237-0764 Directions ↗
TCO Fly Shop16.4 mi
2030 East College Avenue, State College · closest to Bald Eagle Boat Launch (Howard)(814) 689-3654 Directions ↗
McConnell's Country Store and Fly Shop23.2 mi
10853 North PA 44, Waterville · closest to Hunter Run East Launch(570) 753-8241 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Foster Joseph Sayers Lake ↗

Local tips

The lake drops 5 ft in November and another 15 ft by early March, then refills to summer level by mid-May.
About 630 acres are open for ice fishing. Test the ice yourself, since the park doesn't monitor it.
Download the park's depth map before your trip to find channel edges.

View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches; blue pins are bait shops nearby.

More Pennsylvania lakes

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Always wear a life jacket and check your state's current regulations before you fish.