The Lackawanna River is a shinning example of a trout stream restored to days of past, better actually.
Running through former coal country in Northeast PA the Lackawanna suffered from the effects of acid mine drainage (AMD).
Efforts of a number of conservation groups have lead to the treatment of a number of the major AMD sources and restoration of the river.
Today, wild brown trout thrive in the Lackawanna and 11 miles of the river are designated as a PA Class A Wild Trout Stream. This includes the river reach from Carbondale City to Olyphant.
Click the map icons to get directions to fishing spots and real-time USGS stream flow data
Portions of the Lackawanna River are managed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission under Trophy Trout Artificial Lures Only regulations. The Trophy Trout section extends from the Gilmartin Street Bridge in Archbald downstream to the Lackawanna Avenue Bridge (SR 0347) in Olyphant with the exception of a mid-section area extending 0.7 mile From the Depot Street Bridge in Jessup downstream to the foot bridge in Robert Mellow Park. Fish must be at least 14" to keep in the Trophy Trout section with a creel limit of two fish.
The USGS Lackawanna River stream gauge in Archbald, PA provides real-time stream flow data and is useful in determining when to fish. It's typically best to avoid fishing when stream flows are considerably high than normal.
A&G Outfitters publishes a Lackawanna River fishing report that provides current river conditions and a summary of how well the river is fishing.
Visit our Guide to the Best Fly Fishing in Pennsylvania for information on other trout fishing destinations in PA.
Ken is an avid fisherman of 40+ years who loves to explore and find new places to fish. He created DIY Fly Fishing to help you do the same.
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Thank you for the great information. I will truly share this with my hubby the fisherman and his sons. He renewed his license and still haven’t been able to fish. Only because he’s not sure where he could fish from.
