www.fi sh.state.pa.us Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • September-October 2006 31

B e s t F i s h i n g a n d B o a t i n g i n P A S t a t e P a r k s

CodorusState Parkby Alice Stitt

photos by the author

Located in the southwest corner of York County, Codorus State Park is another gem in the crown of Pennsyl-vania’s state parks. Boasting 26 miles of shoreline, and with depths of up to 110 feet, Lake Marburg is the park’s prime attraction. The many different types of fi shing and boating oppor-tunities at Lake Marburg easily meet and exceed the expectations of area and visiting anglers and boaters.

A cooperative project between the Commonwealth of PA and P.H. Glad-felter Paper Company of Spring Grove, this impoundment was the fi rst of its kind in the state—it was designed to

serve the water supply needs of a pri-vate industry and the town of Spring Grove, as well as provide a public rec-reation area. Lake Marburg was cre-ated in 1966 by an earth-fi lled dam across Codorus Creek. The original park was known as Codorus Creek State Park. Lake Marburg was named for the small community of Marburg, now covered by the lake.

Lake Marburg is a warmwater fi shery. Its most popular fi sh spe-cies include yellow perch, bluegills and crappies. The lake also has good populations of white perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, catfi sh, mus-

kellunge, tiger muskellunge, walleyes, catfi sh and carp. Additionally, the Fish & Boat Commission regularly stocks preseason trout in the lake from Janu-ary through April.

Big fi sh are not uncommon. Park manager Warren Werntz reports that in 1994, a 53.5-inch musky was taken from the lake, and in 2003, a 31.5-inch walleye was caught. Largemouth bass in the 25-inch range have been landed during some of the yearly bass tour-naments. Regular catches of 12- to 15-pound carp are also not unusual.

The panfi sh seem to draw the most attention. Anglers catch crappies and

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • September-October 2006 www.fi sh.state.pa.us 32 www.fi sh.state.pa.us Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • September-October 2006 33

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Map courtesy of the PennsylvaniaDepartment of Conservation and Natural Resources

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • September-October 2006 www.fi sh.state.pa.us 34

bluegills throughout the year. The favored locations are the backwater coves and the fi rst and second bridge piers. Anglers use a variety of meth-ods from live baits to plugs and spin-ners to land their quarries.

Fishing from boats seems to be your best bet for the larger pike and muskies, but shore fi shing has prov-en to be up to standard and popular, especially for carp anglers. There is a handicapped-accessible fi shing pier near the fi rst bridge. Many success-ful days for anglers include a stringer of panfi sh with planning a backyard fi sh fry upon returning to the camp-site or homestead.

If using a boat to fi sh the lake, you have seven boat launch ramps from which to choose. The main launch-ing area, off of Shinsheim Road, was the fi rst project in Pennsylvania com-pleted for public use under the Proj-ect 500 program, of the late 1960s and 1970s. This is a lighted launch, open 24 hours a day year-round. All launches are open to the public, but the campground launch is for regis-tered campers only. There is a 20 hp limit for motorboats. In addition to the launches, there are over 400 avail-able mooring spaces for canoes, sail-boats and motorboats.

Lake Marburg is also a favorite of sailboat enthusiasts and paddlers. The good winds that blow from the southwest provide plenty of “air” to billow the sails. And with the won-derful shoreline and many coves and fl ats, paddlers take advantage of the shallower water to escape and explore the lake’s backwaters.

Don’t have a boat? Not to worry—the park offers boat rentals at the ma-rina and pool area, including pontoon boats, rowboats, canoes, paddleboats and motorboats. More information is available at this web site: www.ap-palachianoutdoorschool.com/ma-rina.htm.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commis-sion rules and regulations apply for all fi shing and boating in the park.

The campground, which includes more than 150 sites, opens in April and closes in October. The sites are appropriate for tents or recreational vehicles. Many picnic tables and several picnic pavilions are avail-able throughout the park for daily guests. With the increase in visitors to all state parks, it is recommended to reserve campsites and pavilions as early as possible. The large swimming pool, located near the campground, is open from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, and has a seasonal snack bar with hot and cold food.

The park hosts many activities during the summer, including festi-vals, special events and tournaments. Weekend and holiday traffi c on the lake can sometimes present a chal-lenge to anglers, paddlers and sail-ors, so when you plan a fi shing or boating trip to Marburg, check this DCNR web site for details if you want to break away from the crowds: www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/calen-dar/calendar.aspx.

Throughout the early mornings and evenings, as well as during mid-week, things tend to slow down with still plenty of activities to see and do at the park and surrounding area. You’re only a short drive from Hanover and York, and close enough for visits to Hershey, Lancaster, Gettysburg and Harrisburg.

The cold and snow don’t stop the visitors to Codorus State Park. Des-ignated trails around Chapel Cove provide 165 acres for sledding, cross-

country skiing and snowmobiling after the end of deer season in late December. If there is adequate ice, ice fi shing and iceboating are permitted. Winter reports are available online at: www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/winter/wintera.aspx.

This lake offers some of the best ice fi shing in this part of the state for largemouth bass, northern pike, white and yellow perch, and crappies.

With over 1,200 acres of water to cruise and fi sh, ample parking and picnic areas, boat launches and rent-als, hiking trails, a campground and pool, it is easy to see why many peo-ple regularly visit Lake Marburg at Codorus State Park.

Alice Stitt is the Fish & Boat Com-mission’s Southeast Region aquatic re-sources program specialist.

For More InformationFor park information, visit

www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/codorus.aspx or contact Codorus State Park, 2600 Smith Station Road, Hanover, PA 17331-9545; phone 717-637-2816; email codorussp@state.pa.us.

For general state park informa-tion or reservations, call toll-free 1-888-PA-PARKS, Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For additional information on fi shing, current boating regula-tions, maps and more, visit the Fish & Boat Commission’s web site www.fi sh.state.pa.us.

Marburg’s panfi shing can be excellent. You can target crappies and bluegills year-round.