Topwater Popper Fishing on Lake Wallenpaupack
Lake Wallenpaupack · Pennsylvania · Northeast
Lake Wallenpaupack sits in Pike County at roughly 1,160 feet elevation in the Pocono highlands, covering about 5,700 acres with a maximum depth near 60 feet and a mean depth around 22 feet. The lake is a Pennsylvania Power & Light impoundment from the 1920s, and its glacial origins left it with a rocky, irregular bottom, hard-sand flats, and scattered submerged timber in the back coves — a structure mix that supports both largemouth in the shallower, weedier arms and smallmouth along the main-lake rock transitions. Water clarity tends toward the clearer end for a northeast reservoir, typically 6–12 feet of visibility depending on season, which puts finesse presentations and natural color palettes at a premium.
A floating hard bait with a concave face that produces a spitting, popping action when twitched. Most effective in low-light conditions near cover — points, dock edges, weed lines, and grass pockets. The pause after the pop is where most strikes happen. Few experiences in fishing match watching a largemouth explode on a popper.
Topwater Popper Setup for Lake Wallenpaupack
| Rod | 6'10"–7'3" medium casting rod, moderate action |
| Reel | 6.4:1 baitcaster or spinning |
| Line | 14–17 lb fluorocarbon or 30 lb braid (braid gives better action and hooksets) |
| Weight | 1/4–1/2 oz (Rebel Pop-R, Megabass Pop-X, Strike King KVD Splash) |
Seasonal Tactics on Lake Wallenpaupack
Lake: Pre-spawn largemouth push into the protected coves on the northern end as water temps climb toward 55–60°F in late April and early May; smallmouth stage on main-lake rocky points in 10–18 feet before moving shallower to spawn. Jerkbaits on the rock transitions and Texas-rigged creature baits flipped to laydowns in cove timber both produce well.
Topwater Popper: First light on spawning flats — fish hold shallow and crush surface baits. Slow cadence with long pauses.
Lake: Thermoclines establish by July, pushing smallmouth to suspend over 25–40 ft basin areas near main-lake structure; largemouth hold tight to emergent vegetation and dock edges in 4–8 feet. Topwater early morning on the weedy flats gives way to drop-shot and tube rigs on the deeper rock structure by midday.
Topwater Popper: 30-minute window at dawn and dusk. Fish dock shade and grass pockets. Noon topwater dies.
Lake: Falling water temps in September and October trigger smallmouth to chase shad and shiners on main-lake points; largemouth feed aggressively in the back coves before the turnover. Swimbaits, inline spinners, and lipless crankbaits cover water efficiently during this feeding window.
Topwater Popper: Extended feeding window as water cools. Fish can be caught on top all day in fall.
Lake: Wallenpaupack is a popular ice-fishing destination once it freezes, typically January–February; open-water bass fishing slows sharply but finesse jigging with small tubes or blade baits over rocky structure in 20–35 feet can still produce smallmouth on unseasonably warm afternoons.
Topwater Popper: Generally ineffective in water below 55°F — bass won't chase topwater in cold conditions.
Best Conditions
Dawn and dusk year-round, overcast days, calm to light-chop surface, spring through fall near cover and grass edges
Don't set the hook on the explosion — wait until you feel the fish pull the line. Half of all missed popper strikes are from anglers jerking too early.
More Techniques for Lake Wallenpaupack
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