1.) Introduction:

 

Located in Quakertown, PA, Lake Nockamixon is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and outdoor recreation. Lake Nockamixon covers 1,450 acres of the 5,286 acres of Nockamixon State Park. The lake is about 7 miles long and has about 24 miles of shoreline. The deepest point of the lake is about 90 feet deep! Lake Nockamixon is one of the top 10 largest lakes in the state of Pennsylvania and is known for its scenic beauty and diverse wildlife.

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Lake Nockamixon is a manmade lake that opened in 1974. After the government condemned 290 properties to build the park, a 120 ft tall dam was constructed to dam the Tohickon Creek and fill the new lake. To this day, there are various features from the old Tohickon Village still underwater (Including road beds, bridges, house foundations, and more).

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The name "Nockamixon" is derived from the Lenape Native American word “nocha-misk-hanne,” which translates roughly to "at the place of soft soil." The Lenape, who originally inhabited much of Pennsylvania, used descriptive names for locations based on their natural features or prominent landmarks. The area around Lake Nockamixon, with its lush forests and fertile land, likely inspired the name due to the softer, rich soil found along the streams and valleys.

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Lake Nockamixon has received a notorious reputation for being a very difficult fishery. Despite the tough fishing, the lake has become recognized as Pennsylvania's premier trophy bass fishing destination. Although we only usually average 2-5 bass per guided fishing trip, the average sized bass is usually over 2.5 lbs (Over 15" long). In the past three years alone, the Awgul Fishing Guide Service has landed 106 bass over 5 lbs, 24 bass over 6 lbs, 14 bass over 7 lbs, and even 2 giant bass over 8 lbs, in addition to hundreds of quality bass between 3-5 lbs!

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Lake Nockamixon offers a diverse range of fishing structures and cover throughout its waters, providing excellent habitats for various fish species. The lake is rich in aquatic vegetation, such as lily pads and milfoil grass, which create ideal ambush zones for predatory fish like largemouth bass. Anglers will also find bluff walls, ledges, brush piles, and rock piles scattered around the lake. Additionally, remnants of old road beds and a couple of submerged bridges from the former town add historical intrigue and unique fishing opportunities. The Pennsylvania DCNR has enhanced the lake further by installing numerous artificial fish habitat structures.

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2.) Lake Nockamixon Fishing & Boating Notes:

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-Lake Nockamixon is open 24/7 year round

-The lake has a 20 horsepower engine limit for boating

-Non registered vessels must purchase a launch permit from the State Park Office

-Anglers 16 years and older who desire to fish the lake must purchase a Pennsylvania Fishing License 

-Lake Nockamixon participates in Pennsylvania's special "Big Bass Program" (Anglers can only harvest 4 bass per day 15" minimum size)

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3.) Boat Launches and Shore Fishing Access:

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Lake Nockamixon has four public boat launches that are free to use. They are:

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1.) Haycock Boat Launch (Located on the north end of the lake on the west side)

2.) Tohickon Boat Launch (Located in the middle of the lake on the west side)

3.) Lake Nockamixon Marina (The lake's largest boat access, located in the middle of the lake on the west side)

4.) Three Mile Run Boat Access (Located on the south end of the lake on the east side).

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Lake Nockamixon has many shoreline fishing accesses, including:

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1.) All four public boat launches

2.) Lake Nockamixon Marina pier

3.) Lake Nockamixon Fishing pier

 

3.) Species of Fish:

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The lake is stocked and home to a variety of fish species, including:

 

-Largemouth Bass

-Smallmouth Bass

-Musky (Both purebred musky and tiger musky)

-Striped Bass (Both purebred musky and hybrid striped bass)

-Chain Pickerel

-Channel Catfish

-Walleye

-Crappie (Black crappie and white crappie)

-Bluegill

-Yellow perch

-Common carp

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The predatory fish in Lake Nockamixon typically prey on a variety of fish species, including:

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-Panfish (Crappie, bluegill, and perch)

-Gizzard shad

-Alewives

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-Best Fishing Lures:

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When targeting bass on Lake Nockamixon, artificial lures are often the most effective choice for anglers. Modern lures are crafted to be more efficient and versatile than live bait, realistically mimicking the prey that predatory fish actively pursue. These lures enable anglers to fish more effectively across various types of cover and structure, increasing the chances of landing bass in any environment. Note that in addition to being a full-time fishing guide, Captain Anthony Awgul has developed his own complete line of specialized bass lures and tackle that he uses daily to target bass on Lake Nockamixon. His company, Menace Baits, offers an entire selection of expertly crafted lures and tackle designed to maximize your performance on these waters. You can explore and shop the full Menace Baits product line at www.menacebaits.com.

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When fishing shallow vegetation, Captain Anthony's top producing lures include soft plastics, spinnerbaits, vibrating jigs, shallow diving crankbaits, and topwater baits. When fishing hard cover and structure, he prefers deep diving crankbaits, jigs, swimbaits, drop shot rigs, and ned rigs.

 

-Seasonal Breakdown:

 

Captain Anthony offers fishing guide services year-round, weather permitting—continuing as long as the lake remains ice-free! To help you plan your fishing trip, Captain Anthony has prepared a seasonal breakdown of typical fishing conditions on Lake Nockamixon throughout the year:

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December through Early March:

Fishing Difficulty: Hard

Seasonal Pattern: Wintertime fishing

Best Times of Day to Fish: Middle of Day

Notes: Wintertime fishing can be cold and tough, but if the weather cooperates and there's no ice on the water it can be a great time of year to catch big bass and avoid boat traffic. If you're up for the challenge, bundle up and let's go fishing for some bass in their wintertime haunts!

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Late March to Early April:

Fishing Difficulty: Medium

Seasonal Pattern: Prespawn

Best Times of Day to Fish: Late Morning, Middle of Day

Notes: Bass tend to be the pretty aggressive during the prespawn season as they prepare to breed later in the spring. Fish caught during this timeframe also tend to be heavier than average as they feed heavily and start moving up towards their shallow spawning grounds. Just be prepared to potentially face some cold weather during this time of year! 

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Mid April through early May:

Fishing Difficulty: Easy

Seasonal Pattern: Spawn

Best Times of Day to Fish: Middle of Day

Notes: The bite during this time of year can be excellent since bass become very aggressive, territorial, and predictable as they spawn. This is the time of year that we typically catch the greatest quantities of bass. Most of the musky that we catch are caught during this season too.

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Mid May Through Early June:

Fishing Difficulty: Hard

Seasonal Pattern: Postspawn

Best Times of Day to Fish: Morning & Evening

Notes: After bass finish spawning, they can become difficult to catch for a period of time. During the postspawn season, the fishing can be tough to catch for a couple of weeks as they recover from the spawn before moving into their summertime pattern soon. However, the still need to eat and we'll still be out on the water! Usually during this time of year, that crappie fishing really heats up!

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Mid June Through August:

Fishing Difficulty: Medium

Seasonal Pattern: Summertime

Best Times of Day to Fish: Morning & Evening

Notes: Throughout the summer season, bass can be found all around the lake. Fish can be anywhere from shallow to deep while holding to various types of cover and structure. This is my favorite time of year to do fishing guide trips because we get to use many different techniques. The warm water can make bass pretty active, so break out your sunscreen and let's go wet a line!

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September through Mid October:

Fishing Difficulty: Easy

Seasonal Pattern: Early Fall Transition

Best Times of Day to Fish: Middle of Day

Notes: When the water temperature start cooling, the fish usually start moving! The fall transition has historically been a very hot time of year for bass fishing for us. However, the techniques that we use during this season aren't always the easiest, but they seem to catch a lot of big fish during this timeframe!

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Late October through November:

Fishing Difficulty: Hard

Seasonal Pattern: Fall

Best Times of Day to Fish: Middle of day

Notes: The fall can be a great time to catch active and feeding bass while avoiding the boat traffic. However, this season has historically proven to be one of the more difficult seasons of the year for bass fishing since the fish will be moving around and changing so much. When we do find fish, they might be very aggressive as they prepare for winter, so we'll still be out on the water when it starts to cool down while everyone else starts worrying about football and hunting!​