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Cowanesque Lake

Lawrence · Nelson, Pennsylvania — Tioga County.

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1,079Surface acres
3Public access sites
2.6 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 57355709).

Location & fast facts

Where Cowanesque Lake is in Pennsylvania

The red circle marks Cowanesque Lake.

Fast facts

About Cowanesque Lake

  • County: Tioga
  • Shore towns: Lawrence, Nelson
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 119 mi from Harrisburg and 179 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. 3 public trailer launches listed (see access)
  • Fishing. Muskellunge, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass and Black crappie
  • Walking. 2.6 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 3 campgrounds within 15 mi, 1 on the shore (list)

Watch for

  • Non-native/invasive species. Zebra mussel and Eurasian watermilfoil 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)

1,090Acres (state figure)

Fish species listed by PFBC biologists as warmwater/coolwater fishing opportunities: Black crappie, Muskellunge, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Tiger muskellunge.

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

Lake map

Cowanesque Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Tompkins Campground (campground)Boat ramp (Boat launch)1South Shore (Boat launch)2Tompkins Campground (Boat launch)31 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Lawrence
  2. 2South Shore
    Boat launch · Lawrence
  3. 3Tompkins Campground
    Boat launch · Lawrence

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 57355709), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: PFBC fishing and boating access points and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

2.6 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 20%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
West shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 2.6 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Cowanesque Lake shoreline, mostly along the west shore.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Tompkins Campground, 0.1 mi from a shoreline trail (PA Fish & Boat Commission access data).

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 Cowanesque Lake

We found 3 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Cowanesque Lake, 1 of them within 5 miles. 1 is right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

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: Recreation.gov (RIDB) · 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 (41.9786, -77.2130). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Cowanesque 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 Cowanesque 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

    3 public access sites listed, 3 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat rampLawrence—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating41.9734, -77.1972
    South ShoreLawrenceCOEBoat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating41.9744, -77.2002
    Tompkins CampgroundLawrenceCOEBoat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating41.9766, -77.1920

    PFBC fishing and boating access points and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL)

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

    Non-native/invasive species

    Reported on or near Cowanesque 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 Cowanesque Lake

    How big is Cowanesque Lake?

    Cowanesque Lake covers about 1,079 acres in Lawrence and Nelson, Pennsylvania (Tioga County).

    What fish are in Cowanesque Lake?

    Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission lists Muskellunge, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Black crappie and Tiger muskellunge.

    Is there a public boat launch on Cowanesque Lake?

    Yes. 3 public trailer launches are listed: South Shore, Tompkins Campground and Boat ramp. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Cowanesque Lake?

    Yes. We list 3 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 1 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Cowanesque Lake?

    Cowanesque Lake touches Lawrence and Nelson in Tioga County, Pennsylvania.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Cowanesque 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 Lawrence