Lake Wallenpaupack is the big lake of the northern Poconos: 5,700 acres, 13 miles long, with 52 miles of shoreline, on the Pike-Wayne county line near Hawley. It was built from 1924 to 1926 by damming Wallenpaupack Creek for hydroelectric power, and it still generates electricity today. Brookfield Renewable owns and runs it, including most of the shoreline.
It's the Poconos' best lake for big-boat fun: there's no horsepower limit, so expect powerboats, waterskiing and jet skis in summer.
Boating rules
- No horsepower limit. Speed limit 45 mph by day on summer weekends and holidays (Saturday before Memorial Day through Labor Day) and 25 mph from sunset to sunrise all year.
- All motorboats, including electric, must be registered; kayaks and other unpowered boats need a registration or a Fish & Boat Commission or DCNR launch permit. Jet ski drivers need a Pennsylvania Boating Safety Education Certificate, and jet skis can't run between sunset and sunrise.
- Boat launches: the free Fish & Boat Commission ramp at Mangan Cove (off SR 590 near Route 6) and Brookfield's paid ramps at Caffrey, Ironwood Point, Ledgedale and Wilsonville.
- The four islands (Burns, Cairns, Epply and Kipp) are open for daytime boat-in picnics, with no camping, pets, fireworks or alcohol.
Sources: PA Fish & Boat Commission: Lake Wallenpaupack · Brookfield: boating guide
The fall drawdown
Lake levels drop every fall and winter. In 2026, Brookfield began lowering the lake after Labor Day for dam testing and maintenance, and the state pulled the Mangan Cove docks early; they're expected back in late March 2027. Brookfield warns that levels can change without notice, so watch for exposed hazards and check its lake-level page before you launch.
Sources: Brookfield: Lake Wallenpaupack levels · PA Fish & Boat: Mangan Cove docks
Campgrounds, trails and views
- Brookfield runs four lakeside campgrounds, each with a small store, docks, a gas dock, launch ramps and picnic areas: Caffrey (Lakeville), Ironwood Point and Ledgedale (Greentown) and Wilsonville (Hawley), the largest. Pets and swimming aren't allowed at any of the recreation areas. Ironwood Point's 2026 season ran May 1 to October 12.
- Lake Wallenpaupack Overlook on Route 590 by the dam is popular with birders, with an active osprey nest. The Tafton Dike Observation Area near Routes 6 and 507 has lake views and shoreline fishing.
- Shuman Point Natural Area: a 3-mile trail (about an hour and a half) on 300 acres, parking on Route 590 about 2.5 miles west of the dam. Ledgedale Natural Area has about 2 miles of trails.
Sources: Brookfield: camping & recreation · Brookfield: Shuman Point
Swimming, fishing and boat tours
- Swimming isn't allowed at the Brookfield recreation areas. Palmyra Township has run a paid public beach near Hawley in past summers; check with the township whether it's open this year.
- Fishing: smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, pickerel, yellow perch, trout, striped bass, catfish and panfish; the state stocks striped bass, walleye and brown trout. Anyone 16 or older needs a Pennsylvania fishing license.
- Wallenpaupack Scenic Boat Tour, 2487 US-6, Hawley (570-226-3293): 50-minute scenic tours, pontoon charters, and pontoon, kayak and paddleboard rentals.
Sources: PA Fish & Boat Commission · Wallenpaupack Scenic Boat Tour