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North Park Lake

McCandless, Pennsylvania — Allegheny County.

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66Surface acres
2Public access sites
3.7 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 123973837).

Location & fast facts

Where North Park Lake is in Pennsylvania

The red circle marks North Park Lake.

Fast facts

About North Park Lake

  • County: Allegheny
  • Town: McCandless
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 165 mi from Harrisburg and 11 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, Largemouth bass, Black crappie and White crappie
  • Walking. 3.7 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 2 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)

75Acres (state figure)

Fish species listed by PFBC biologists as warmwater/coolwater fishing opportunities: Black crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth bass, Channel catfish, Tiger muskellunge, Walleye, White crappie.

Trout: PFBC stocked trout water, open to fishing year-round

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

Lake map

North Park Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Boat ramp (Boat launch)1North Park Boat Launch (Boat launch)2¼ mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch · McCandless
  2. 2North Park Boat Launch
    Boat launch · McCandless

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 123973837), 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

3.7 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 100%Of the shoreline
YesLoops the whole lake

OpenStreetMap shows about 3.7 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the North Park Lake shoreline. Together the trails go all or nearly all the way around North Park Lake, staying close to the water.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is North Park Boat Launch, right on 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 North Park Lake

We found 2 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of North Park Lake. 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: 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 (40.5990, -80.0018). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for North Park 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 North Park 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
    Boat rampMcCandless—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating40.5939, -80.0022
    North Park Boat LaunchMcCandlessAllegheny CountyBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating40.5982, -79.9982

    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 North Park 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 North Park Lake

    How big is North Park Lake?

    North Park Lake covers about 66 acres in McCandless, Pennsylvania (Allegheny County).

    What fish are in North Park Lake?

    Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission lists Walleye, Largemouth bass, Black crappie, White crappie, Bluegill, Channel catfish and Tiger muskellunge.

    Is there a public boat launch on North Park Lake?

    Yes. 2 public trailer launches are listed: North Park Boat Launch and Boat ramp. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near North Park Lake?

    Yes. We list 2 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles.

    What towns are on North Park Lake?

    North Park Lake touches McCandless in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know North Park 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 McCandless