Shenango River Lake

Mercer County, Pennsylvania

A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood-control lake near Sharpsville and Hermitage. PFBC surveys show excellent crappie, lots of northern pike and channel catfish, and a stocked hybrid striped bass fishery.

Air temp in Clark, PA Loading current temperature…

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

Current air temperature at Shenango River Lake (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area3,560 acres

Max depth—

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck USACE (hp limit applies)

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Crappie●●●●●

Excellent crappie fishing. Black crappie outnumber white about 10 to 1. Brush and timber in spring.

Northern Pike●●●●○

Abundant, with fish to the upper 30-inch range. Weed edges and creek arms.

Channel Catfish●●●●○

A strong self-sustaining population. Cut bait on flats.

Hybrid Striped Bass●●●●○

Stocked yearly. Chase schools and surface feeds in open water.

Largemouth Bass●●●○○

Big Bass rules apply. Largemouth outnumber smallmouth 2 to 1.

Walleye●●●○○

Stocked. Troll crankbaits along the old river channel.

When they bite

Month-by-month activity for each target species.

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Crappie
Northern Pike
Hybrid Striped Bass
Channel Catfish

SlowFairGoodHot

Boat launches

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

1Clark Recreation Area Boat RampPublic
USACE ramp on the east sideDirections ↗
7 public launches in totalPublic
See the USACE Shenango River Lake map for all locationsDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

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

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted) - Big Bass Program Jan 1-Apr 11 and Jun 14-Dec 31; Apr 12-Jun 13 no harvest, catch and release	15 in	4 / day combined
Crappie Panfish Enhancement; panfish not to exceed 50 combined	9 in	20 / day

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 Sports4.1 mi
2267 East State Street, Hermitage · closest to Clark Recreation Area Boat Ramp(724) 346-6182 Directions ↗
Bass Pro Shops17.1 mi
2390 Niles Cortland Road SE, Niles, OH · closest to Clark Recreation Area Boat Ramp(330) 989-7600 Directions ↗
Dunham's Sports18.7 mi
370 Dworman Lane, New Castle · closest to Clark Recreation Area Boat Ramp(724) 657-8833 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Shenango River Lake ↗

Local tips

White bass numbers have been climbing. Look for them chasing bait with the hybrids.
Crappie stack up on wood in the coves in April and May.
It's a flood-control lake, so levels can change quickly after heavy rain.

Angler reports

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

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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.