Raystown Lake

Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's largest lake entirely inside the state. Deep, clear, and long, Raystown is known for trophy striped bass, strong smallmouth numbers, and a two-story fishery with lake trout in the depths.

Air temp in James Creek, PA Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Raystown Lake (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area8,300 acres

Max depth200 ft

Shoreline118 mi

Boat motorsUnlimited horsepower

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Striped Bass●●●●●

Follow bait schools. Big fish roam open water; live alewives and umbrella rigs work well.

Smallmouth Bass●●●●○

Rocky points and shale banks. Tubes and ned rigs in 10–25 ft.

Walleye●●●○○

Low-light bite along main-lake points. Troll crankbaits in summer.

Lake Trout●●●○○

Cold, deep water near the dam. Downriggers in summer.

When they bite

Month-by-month activity for each target species.

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Striped Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Walleye
Lake Trout

SlowFairGoodHot

Boat launches

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

Seven Points Marina & LaunchMarina
Main launch. Full-service marina, rentals, fuelDirections ↗
Snyder's RunPublic
USACE launchDirections ↗
Tatman RunPublic
USACE launch with beach and day-use areaDirections ↗
AitchPublic
USACE launchDirections ↗
James CreekPublic
USACE launchDirections ↗
Shy BeaverPublic
USACE launchDirections ↗
Weaver FallsPublic
USACE launchDirections ↗
Corbin's IslandRiver
On the Raystown Branch below the dam. River accessDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

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

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Trout (all species) Special entry covers Raystown Lake/Raystown Branch dam downstream to Juniata River; other species not determined	7 in	5 / day (3 / day after Labor Day to next regular season opener)

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.

Performance FliesNearby
6439 William Penn Hwy, Alexandria216-849-6900 Directions ↗
Dunham's Sports28.9 mi
2901 East College Avenue(814) 237-0764 Directions ↗
Seven Points Bait & GroceryNearby
5942 Seven Points Road, Hesston(814) 658-3718 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Raystown Lake ↗

Local tips

Watch for gulls diving on bait in fall, a sign of stripers pushing alewives.
Summer stratifies hard; fish the thermocline for walleye and stripers.
Night fishing for stripers is popular from June through August.

Angler reports

Water temp, what's biting, and anything else other anglers should know about Raystown Lake.

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