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Lake Wilhelm

New Vernon · Mill Creek · Deer Creek · Sandy Creek · Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania — Mercer County.

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1,568Surface acres
10Public access sites
7.4 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 100482099).

Location & fast facts

Where Lake Wilhelm is in Pennsylvania

The red circle marks Lake Wilhelm.

Fast facts

About Lake Wilhelm

  • County: Mercer
  • Shore towns: New Vernon, Mill Creek, Deer Creek, Sandy Creek, Sandy Lake
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 187 mi from Harrisburg and 68 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. 10 public trailer launches listed (see access)
  • Fishing. Walleye, Muskellunge, Northern pike and Largemouth bass
  • Walking. 7.4 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 12 campgrounds within 15 mi (list)

Watch for

  • Non-native/invasive species. Eurasian watermilfoil and Curly-leaf pondweed 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)

1,739Acres (state figure)

Fish species listed by PFBC biologists as warmwater/coolwater fishing opportunities: Black crappie, Bluegill, Bullheads, Common carp, Muskellunge, Largemouth bass, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Walleye, White crappie, Yellow perch.

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

Lake map

Lake Wilhelm shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Camp Wilhelm Campground (campground)Goddard Park VacationLand Campground (campground)Boat ramp (Boat launch)1Lake Wilhelm - Old Launch #1 (Boat launch)2Launch #1 (Boat launch)3Launch #2 (Boat launch)4Launch #3 (Boat launch)5Launch #4 (Boat launch)6Long Boom - Gamelands 270 (Boat launch)7Marina (Boat launch)8Marina Point (Boat launch)9Sheakleyville Road - Gamelands 270 (Boat launch)101 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Deer Creek
  2. 2Lake Wilhelm - Old Launch #1
    Boat launch · New Vernon
  3. 3Launch #1
    Boat launch · New Vernon
  4. 4Launch #2
    Boat launch · New Vernon
  5. 5Launch #3
    Boat launch · New Vernon
  6. 6Launch #4
    Boat launch · New Vernon
  7. 7Long Boom - Gamelands 270
    Boat launch · New Vernon
  8. 8Marina
    Boat launch · New Vernon
  9. 9Marina Point
    Boat launch · New Vernon
  10. 10Sheakleyville Road - Gamelands 270
    Boat launch · New Vernon

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 100482099), 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

7.4 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 30%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
East and south shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 7.4 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Lake Wilhelm shoreline, mostly along the east and south shores.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Launch #1, 250 ft 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 Lake Wilhelm

We found 12 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Lake Wilhelm, 3 of them within 5 miles. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

6 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 (41.4177, -80.1389). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Lake Wilhelm. 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 Lake Wilhelm

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

    10 public access sites listed, 10 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat rampDeer Creek—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating41.4462, -80.1790
    Lake Wilhelm - Old Launch #1New VernonBureau of State ParksBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating41.4311, -80.1590
    Launch #1New VernonBureau of State ParksBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating41.3824, -80.0939
    Launch #2New VernonBureau of State ParksBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating41.4055, -80.1237
    Launch #3New VernonBureau of State ParksBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating41.4254, -80.1512
    Launch #4New VernonBureau of State ParksBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating41.4168, -80.1298
    Long Boom - Gamelands 270New VernonPGCBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating41.4308, -80.1682
    MarinaNew VernonBureau of State ParksBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating41.4190, -80.1489
    Marina PointNew VernonBureau of State ParksBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating41.4208, -80.1512
    Sheakleyville Road - Gamelands 270New VernonPGCBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating41.4460, -80.1809

    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 Lake Wilhelm

    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 Lake Wilhelm

    How big is Lake Wilhelm?

    Lake Wilhelm covers about 1,568 acres in New Vernon, Mill Creek, Deer Creek and Sandy Creek, Pennsylvania (Mercer County).

    What fish are in Lake Wilhelm?

    Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission lists Walleye, Muskellunge, Northern pike, Largemouth bass, Black crappie, White crappie, Bluegill, Yellow perch, Pumpkinseed and Bullheads and 1 more.

    Is there a public boat launch on Lake Wilhelm?

    Yes. 10 public trailer launches are listed: Marina Point, Launch #1 and Lake Wilhelm - Old Launch #1. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Lake Wilhelm?

    Yes. We list 12 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 3 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Lake Wilhelm?

    Lake Wilhelm touches New Vernon, Mill Creek, Deer Creek, Sandy Creek and Sandy Lake in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Lake Wilhelm? 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 New Vernon