Pennsylvania has only a smattering of natural lakes, many of which are located in the northwestern part of the state.

Though the list of these glacially formed lakes is rather short, the inventory of the quality fishing they provide is impressively lengthy.

Edinboro Lake is on that list.

Located in southern Erie County, the 252-acre lake is a case of the clashing of subcultures. For the angler who works a boat into one of the many fingers feeding the lake, the place is refreshingly wild.

In reality, Edinboro Lake is located next to the town of the same name, one that contains a thriving state university and the busy commerce such institutions help support. Interstate 79 passes just a couple of miles to the west.

With no horsepower limitation, the lake sees plenty of recreational boating traffic, including Jet Skis. Anglers hoping for the best fishing experience should choose times that are least likely to intersect with the boating crowd.

This includes the early- to mid-morning period and days of inclement weather. Fall definitely fits into this category, and it's when some of the lake's best fishing occurs.

Edinboro contains a wild spectrum of panfish and larger gamefish. Panfish species include black crappies, yellow perch, bluegills and pumpkinseed.

Bass are present in good numbers, particularly largemouths, though some quality-sized smallmouths also call the lake home.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission stocks walleyes on a regular basis, resulting in a decent population of this species.

The lake also is noted for a solid musky population maintained by the Fish and Boat Commission.

Unlike some northwestern Pennsylvania glacial lakes, which can be featureless, sandy-bottomed depressions in which submerged weedbeds provide the main edge habitat, Edinboro has a variety of cover and structure.

There is plenty of weedgrowth at a level well in balance with the overall acreage of the lake. During the summer and early fall, you will find areas of floating weeds in the form of spatterdock and floating lilies.

By fall, though, a great deal of it will be gone or in the process of dying.

In addition to the floating and submergent cover, Edinboro has its plenty of submerged stumps that are particularly attractive to Edinboro's largemouths.

From the air, the lake is shaped like and inverted pear, one in which a few slivers have been removed from the slender end.

These slices on the lake are a series of ditches and canals that feed the it from its northern end. Most of these are surprisingly deep (3 to 5 feet in many areas), given that you can easily cast from one side to the others.

During a trip to the lake last summer, my buddy Dave Lehman and I found largemouths up to the 3-pound range in them.

Just south of Edinboro's northern watery fingers is a large, shallow flat that features floating vegetation throughout much of the warmer months. As the shallow weeds die off, many of the bass relocate to deeper weeds.

An irregular shoreline that features three significant points lies along the eastern shoreline. Stumps are present up in the shallows, particularly in the shallow bays tucked back inside the points.

Some rocks can be found there, too, especially the bank stabilizing riprap where Route 99 comes close to the lake shore. Along with plenty of weed edges, there are numerous laydowns in Conneauttee Creek, which is the lake's outlet. Docks also present in this area, but many will be gone for the season.

The lake boasts an excellent access area, the Billings Recreational Complex located off Route 6N along the lake's southwestern shoreline.

Edinboro Lake Resort provides additional access points, as well as a host of amenities such as a marina, boat rentals, lakeside cabins, a campground and a restaurant.

The resort is located along the midpoint of the eastern shore. Call 814-434-3307 for the status of services during the fall season.

Jeff Knapp is an outdoors writer for the Butler Eagle.