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Beltzville Lake

Towamensing · Franklin, Pennsylvania — Carbon County.

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1,044Surface acres
2Public access sites
8.1 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 120023042).

Location & fast facts

Where Beltzville Lake is in Pennsylvania

The red circle marks Beltzville Lake.

Fast facts

About Beltzville Lake

  • County: Carbon
  • Shore towns: Towamensing, Franklin
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 79 mi from Harrisburg and 232 mi from Pittsburgh, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in Pennsylvania

Official PFBC pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Boating. 2 public trailer launches listed (see access)
  • Fishing. Walleye, Muskellunge, Smallmouth bass and Striped bass
  • Walking. 8.1 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 26 campgrounds within 15 mi (list)

Watch for

  • Non-native/invasive species. Wandering hydrilla recorded. Clean, drain and dry your boat and gear.
  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.
  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Official fishing data (PA Fish and Boat Commission)

946Acres (state figure)

Fish species listed by PFBC biologists as warmwater/coolwater fishing opportunities: Bluegill, Chain pickerel, Muskellunge, Channel catfish, Pumpkinseed, Redbreast sunfish, Rock bass, Smallmouth bass, Striped bass, Tiger muskellunge, Walleye, Yellow perch.

Source: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) warmwater/coolwater fisheries lakes and stocked trout waterbodies (via PASDA), record for Beltzville Lake, Carbon County. See PFBC fishing for regulations and stocking schedules. Acreage here can differ slightly from our mapped outline.

Lake map

Beltzville Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Pine Run (Boat launch)1Preachers Camp (Boat launch)21 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail
  1. 1Pine Run
    Boat launch · Towamensing
  2. 2Preachers Camp
    Boat launch · Towamensing

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 120023042), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: PFBC fishing and boating access points. Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

8.1 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 40%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
East shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 8.1 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Beltzville Lake shoreline, mostly along the east shore.

Trails along the shore

Trailheads & parking

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Beltzville Lake

We found 26 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Beltzville Lake, 8 of them within 5 miles. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

14 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Pennsylvania

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (40.8685, -75.6018). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Beltzville Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Beltzville Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in ET (America/New_York), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    2 public access sites listed, 2 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Pine RunTowamensingCOEBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating40.8635, -75.6185
    Preachers CampTowamensingCOEBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating40.8742, -75.5749

    PFBC fishing and boating access points

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Non-native/invasive species

    Reported on or near Beltzville Lake

    Clean, Drain, Dry. Remove plants and mud, drain all water, and dry your boat, trailer and gear before moving to another water.

    USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

    USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Beltzville Lake

    How big is Beltzville Lake?

    Beltzville Lake covers about 1,044 acres in Towamensing and Franklin, Pennsylvania (Carbon County).

    What fish are in Beltzville Lake?

    Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission lists Walleye, Muskellunge, Smallmouth bass, Striped bass, Bluegill, Yellow perch, Channel catfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass and Chain pickerel and 2 more.

    Is there a public boat launch on Beltzville Lake?

    Yes. 2 public trailer launches are listed: Pine Run and Preachers Camp. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Beltzville Lake?

    Yes. We list 26 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 8 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Beltzville Lake?

    Beltzville Lake touches Towamensing and Franklin in Carbon County, Pennsylvania.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Beltzville Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Pennsylvania lakes & ponds · All waters in Towamensing