Fishing Reports and info for Tioga County, Pine Creek, & Surrounding Waterways. Winter
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.
***1/22/2026 Tioga County ICE Update***
Across the county, the ice is in mostly great shape this week. With a potentially major snow storm moving through early next week, now’s the time to get out and enjoy some time on the hardwater!
These reports are for reference only. Always check conditions yourself and be aware of varied conditions, especially on the larger lakes
Beechwood Lake- Beechwood is the first lake to hit a foot of ice in the county this season. We measured just over 12” of mostly clear ice with a dusting of snow blowing around. No issue accessing at the boat launch. Mixed reports lately with anglers catching panfish and trout.
Hills Creek State Park- The ice continues to be in good shape here with a few anglers fishing both ends of the lake today. We stopped at the Pines launch and marked 8-8.5” of mostly clear ice. Most of the lake has a thin blanket of snow.
Hamilton Lake- The creek has all refrozen and we had no issue getting on at the launch. A few people were fishing towards the dam. We measured 11-11.5 inches of mostly clear ice.
Nessmuk Lake- A few people were out fishing today and the ice is in good shape. We measured about 10” of mostly clear ice.
Cowanesque Lake- Cowanesque appears to be frozen end to end again. We measured about 10” of solid black ice. Good clear water below too here. If you venture towards the middle or towards the dam, be aware that a lot of this is newer ice and is likely much thinner. Spud around and check conditions!
Hammond Lake- Hammond just does not want to freeze solid this year. Wind seems to be keeping a small section open stretches from about the primitive camping area to roughly the middle of the lake. For the first time this season, we were able to get on at the main boat launch and marked 8-8.5” of mostly clear ice 100 feet or so out from the launch. The edge was hard and we had no issue getting on. This will definitely be much thinner farther out. With sub-zero temps in the forecast, this will likely finish freezing if the wind lays down.
It’s going to be a great couple days for ice fishing! We will be open 6am-6pm all weekend long. We will update again next week sometime after the snow storm moves through. Good luck and be safe out there!
***1/16/2026 Tioga County ICE Update***
The warm weather has passed and good cold conditions are settling into the region. Ice conditions have held fairly steady all week on the smaller lakes and conditions are mostly favorable for a great weekend of fishing. There is nearly no snow on the lakes and the ice is quite slippery. Be sure to have cleats. With the roller coaster weather pattern the past few weeks it is certain that there will be spots of thinner ice near anywhere with inflowing water. Be sure to spud and ALWAYS check conditions yourself. These reports are for your reference only
Beechwood Lake- A few people were fishing, and we measured roughly 9” of ice coming off the boat launch area. Edge is hard and access was no issue at the launch. The Beechwood Lake Ice Fishing Tournament sponsored by CV anglers is scheduled for February 14th.
Hills Creek State Park- A bunch of people were fishing here today off both ends. We measured about 7” a couple hundred yards off the beaver huts launch. A couple anglers noted catching bluegills and perch today. It is Hills Creek’s Winterfest this weekend too. Swing by and check out their event while you’re here.
Nessmuk Lake – A few people were here today. The bluegills have been biting really well most of the month. We measured roughly 8” of ice coming from the dock.
Hamilton Lake- During the warm spell, the creek opened up and this has since frozen. It is very thin at the creek mouth, but it is frozen and should continue to improve. We accessed the ice to the right of the dock a few yards away from the launch. Here the edge was hard. Once out on the lake, we measured 7-7.5” of ice. Anglers were also fishing on the dam and accessed coming down the hill.
Cowanesque Lake- The west end of the lake roughly from the boat launch area west is all frozen and in good shape. Towards the middle and around the dam, patches of open water have opened up. Coming off the south shore launch, there is roughly 8” of ice.
Hammond Lake- Once again, we were unable to get on Hammond at the main boat launch. The ice in this area is thin and subpar. The center part of the lake has opened up again too.
Good luck and be safe out there! Tackle Shack is open 6am-6pm all weekend long to help you have a great day of ice fishing
1/9/2026 Tioga County ICE Update
A little rain and warm weather passed through most of this week and all the snow on the lakes has melted. The ice sheets have held up well and a few people have been fishing these past few days. Conditions are varied some now with the fluctuating temperatures. Wherever you go- Spud, Spud, Spud, and ALWAYS check conditions yourself before heading onto the ice. These reports are for your reference only and there will be spots of thinner ice on all the lakes.
Beechwood- The parking lot has thawed almost completely. One person was fishing here this morning. The edge at the ramp was in good shape and we had no issue getting on the lake. Some slush and water on top. Ice measured 8-8.5” or so with the top layer being a little soft. Water looks clear. If you take the back roads to get here through Gaines, be aware that there is still a lot of ice on the roads. We had no issue coming from 249 to the lake.
Cowanesque- The lake has frozen almost completely. There is small patches of open water on the east end towards the dam. Looking towards the dam, there is a distinct line between new and old ice. Off the South shore ramp, we measured 7.5” of clear ice with clear water below. I would expect most of the middle and east end of the lake to be considerably thinner. Again, be sure to check conditions everywhere before venturing out.
Hammond- Hammond appears froze end to end, but once again, we were unable to get on the ice sheet at the main boat ramp. The water was up a little and the edge ice is very soft. With the current forecast, fishing here next weekend seems very likely.
Hills Creek State Park- A few people were fishing off the pines launch. Some water on top. We stopped at the beaver huts launch and had no issue getting on. Hard edges and roughly 6.5” of ice.
Hamilton- The creek has come up some and the creek channel has some open water patches. The edges were soft and deteriorating. This will likely not be fishable this weekend, however we should be back on it early next week as soon as it cools down and the edges tighten up. The Tackle Shack crew had been doing well out here these past few days.
Nessmuk- We had no issue getting on Nessmuk. The edge is hard and we found about 7.5” of ice. Water appeared very clear too.
Good luck and be safe out there. Think cold thoughts and encourage this cold weather to stick around the rest of the season.
***12/31/2025 Tioga County ICE Update
A new year begins tomorrow and we will start 2026 with solid ice conditions across much of the county. The ice storm a little while ago has parking lots extremely slick in many of the areas and there is very little snow on most of the lakes. Definitely have your cleats! The Corps lakes need some time yet, but anglers are fishing all of the smaller lakes in the area. Expect to find varied ice conditions still, though conditions will continue to improve through the week with single digit lows expected. These reports are for your reference only! ALWAYS check conditions yourself before venturing onto the ice.
Beechwood – A few people were fishing today and anglers have been catching a mix of trout and panfish lately. The parking lot and road is a sheet of ice and extremely slippery. The ice is in good shape with 8-9 inches and a layer of snow on top.
Cowanesque- The west end up to about the campground boat launch is all frozen, but the east of the lake is all open water, except for some ice in the coves.
Hammond- Most of the upper end is frozen and there is also ice cover towards the dam, but the main lake is wide open. The edge is thin and soft and the ice sheet was too thin to measure. 1 whack with a spud bar.
Nessmuk- A few people out today and we found about 7” of ice coming off the launch. The boat ramp is extremely slick. Walking down to the lake in the grass is much easier. No issues getting on the lake. Panfish have been biting good lately!
Hamilton- The last rain opened up the creek and it has since refroze. This ice is thinner by the dock and of lesser quality, but we were able to access here. Conditions improved away from the launch. On the lake we found 6-8” of ice. Nobody out today, but anglers reported plenty of trout and panfish throughout the week.
Hills Creek- A few people were out off both launches and ice measured 7-7.5 inches in both areas. Anglers have had mixed success lately with some nice panfish, pickerel and bass being caught. Most of the best reports have been off the stumps end in 4-8 feet of water.
Good luck and be safe out there. Tackle Shack is open normal hours on New Years Day (8am-6pm)
#tackleshack #wellsboropa #FishTiogaCounty #tiogacountypa #icefishing #icefishpa #icefishinglife #pastateparks #winter
***12/19/2025 Tackle Shack Tioga County Ice Report***
Heavy rains and a few warm days passed through the region these past few days, but the ice remains in decent shape headed into the weekend. However, with runoff, raised water levels, and variable weather, it is very important to note that you will find thin spots and spots of weak ice on any of the lakes. ALWAYS Check conditions yourself before heading out fishing. Use a Spud bar and stay alert! These reports are for your reference only!
With mostly bare ice, the lakes are extremely slick too. Make sure to have your cleats!
Hills Creek Lake- One angler was fishing off the stumps end. We had no issue getting on the ice and found mostly black ice with a little water on top at this end. Here we measured roughly 4.75-5”. At the Pine launch, water is pooled up at the bottom of the boat ramp and a lot of pine needles are on the ice in this area. There was more slush/water on top on this end. Ice measured 5-5.5”
Beechwood Lake- Water coming down the road and the boat ramp has pooled up at the bottom of the ramp. We were able to access the ice to the left off the concrete wall. On the lake here is a mix of frozen slush, water, and black ice. We measured approximately 5-6” with the top layer being soft. Hopefully the water and slush will drain off or freeze hard tonight. The water has clouded up too. Trout were stocked here on Monday. Be aware of the large square hole off near the boat ramp.
Nessmuk Lake- Like the other lakes, water is pooled up at the bottom of the ramp and the lake is up a foot or so. We were able to get on here, but had to step in water to get on the ice sheet. Once out there, we measured 5-5.5” with some water and soft ice on top. Dirty water is coming in from the springs and the upper parking lot area. With snow on top and an open patch that was late freezing, it is very likely to see highly variable thicknesses across the rest of the lake.
Cowanesque Lake- The West end of the lake to about the beach area on the campground side is all frozen. The lake is up a little and the edges were mostly gone. The east side of the lake is all open water. We will check back again soon.
Hammond Lake- Most of the upper end is frozen and about half of the main lake. There is a large open section through the middle of the lake. Dirty water is dumping in from crooked creek and the smaller feeder creeks. Again, we’ll check back soon
Hamilton Lake- The lake is up a few feet and shoreline is blown out. A lot of dirty water is working its way through the lake. We’ll check again once the water comes down. It is frozen mostly end to end with a little open water in the creek mouth by the dock.
We will update again probably after Christmas. Good luck and be safe out there. Pictures and more can be found on our Facebook Page too! Facebook Ice Update
***12/11/2025 Tackle Shack Tioga County ICE Update!***
Good cold weather has settled into the area and all the lakes have at least some ice cover. Snow these past few days is going to slow ice growth. Birds, wind, and some rain are contributing to varied ice conditions too. If you get out, proper safety gear, especially a spud bar, is a must in the early season!
THESE REPORTS ARE FOR YOUR REFERENCE ONLY. ALWAYS check ice conditions yourself before venturing onto any frozen body of water. Spud, Spud, Spud, and constantly check thickness are you move.
Hills Creek- A few anglers have been fishing Hills Creek this week and one angler was out today. The edges are solid with no problem accessing the ice at either boat launch. There is a few inches of snow. We marked roughly 5” of mostly black ice at both the Pine launch and the Beaver Huts launch.
Beechwood- As of this morning, the road to the boat launch was not plowed and there was probably 3 inches or so of snow on the lake. Access from the launch was no issue and we found a consistent 5-5.5” of mostly black ice. Beechwood is due to be stocked with trout next week on 12/15.
Cowanesque- About half or so of the lake is frozen with most of the open water on the east end. There are large wet areas and open spots from the south shore launch west too though. We’ll check back in a week or so.
Hammond- Hammond is probably 2/3 frozen with a large patch of open water in the middle and quite a few wet spots throughout the lake. Again, we’ll check back next week sometime.
Hamilton- Hamilton appears mostly frozen, however there is a potential thin/wet spot on the opposite side, roughly in the middle of the lake, near the group of pine trees. We had no issue walking on at the boat launch and marked about 3.75-4”. We did not check at the dam end parking lot. With more snow today, any thin spots will likely be hidden.
Nessmuk- Birds are keeping a large section of Nessmuk open about ¾ of the way towards to dam on the opposite side of the lake. The edge at the boat launch was soft and wet. We were able to get on here, and found just under 4” of ice, however, this likely tapers to thinner ice farther out and until the rest freezes up, there is great potential for thin and dangerous areas. Hopefully the birds will head south again soon and this will finish freezing.
Again, be sure to check conditions yourself and ALWAYS carry a spud bar and safety picks. Good luck and be safe out there this season. We’re excited to be back on the hardwater and will be posting regular reports all winter long.
Pictures and more are available on our Facebook Page here -
Facebook Post
12/5/2025
Ice Season is coming! Snow last week helped cool the lakes quickly and most have significant ice cover. We will begin posting ice conditions next week sometime. These will be available here as well as our Facebook page, and Iceshanty.com . We look forward to a great winter season!
11/17/1025
Docks have been pulled on the Army Corps lakes. A few people have been fishing on Hammond and catching crappies. Water temps are in the high 40's for the most part. Spillway action continues to be good with smallmouth, walleyes, and a few muskies. Swimbaits are working best in 3-3.5" inch sizes.
10/30/2025
Little to add to the below reports. Water temperatures are still dropping, but remain very low. Rain today should put some water back in the lakes. Anglers reported a good smallmouth bite on Cowanesque and some crappies at both Tioga and Hammond. Trout fishing has been good at Hamilton Lake and on Pine Creek too.
10/15/2025
Fall weather is here and water temps across the county are holding in the low 60's. Despite a little rain lately, water levels still remain very low. Anglers are catching fish, but many noted a tough bite on the Corps lakes. Hamilton, Nessmuk, and Hills Creek have been producing better with good days catching panfish. The Tioga spillway has been producing a number of short and keeper sized walleye. Lack of flow has been an issue, but evenings have fished well.
The Delayed harvest section of Pine was restocked a few weeks ago and anglers are catching trout on a variety of flies and hardbaits. Pine is also quite low.
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