Where is Tionesta Lake?

Tionesta Lake is a lake in Forest County, Pennsylvania. Its water-quality measurements are published by PA DEP and shown on this page as reported.

Are there boat ramps on Tionesta Lake?

Tionesta Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Tionesta Dam. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Tionesta Lake?

Tionesta Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Pennsylvania's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.

Are there campgrounds on Tionesta Lake?

Tionesta Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Outflow Recreation Area (pa), Tionesta Rec. Area Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.

Tionesta Lake

Forest County, Pennsylvania524 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from PA DEP for this lake.

Area

524 acres

Surface area

Impaired · Mercury
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Tionesta Lake in Forest County, Pennsylvania has water-quality measurements published by PA DEP, shown here as reported. Surface area: 524 acres.

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Tionesta Lake is a 524-acre lake in Forest County, Pennsylvania. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, PA DEP. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Tionesta Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp
Camping2 public campgrounds nearby

Swimming conditions

No reading

Not rated

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Tionesta Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Tionesta Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.

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Water quality measurements for Tionesta Lake

These are the measurements PA DEP publishes for Tionesta Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data. TSI undefined.

Ask about Tionesta Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

→ Tionesta Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading

Lake Details

Surface area

524 acres

Public access

Yes

Listed by PA DEP

No bathymetric survey has been published for Tionesta Lake, so its depth is not documented here.

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Campgrounds

Tionesta DamPublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Public campgrounds near Tionesta Lake

Outflow Recreation Area (pa)1.6 kmReserve
Tionesta Rec. Area Campground2.2 kmReserve

Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Tionesta Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Tionesta Lake in Forest County, Pennsylvania — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.

Top-rated places to stay near Tionesta Lake

Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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Follow Tionesta Lake’s readings

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Fishing Tionesta Lake

→ Tionesta Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

EPA Impairment Status

Tionesta Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Mercury

Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit PA-LRP-05010003005387 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Forest County

Beaver Meadows Lake16.7 miView →Buzzard Swamp18.6 miView →Kahle Lake20.5 miView →Chapman Dam Reservoir22.8 miView →Clear Lake28 miView →Sugar Lake27.6 miView →

Frequently asked questions about Tionesta Lake

Where is Tionesta Lake?: Tionesta Lake is a lake in Forest County, Pennsylvania. Its water-quality measurements are published by PA DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Tionesta Lake?: Tionesta Lake in Forest County, Pennsylvania has water-quality measurements published by PA DEP, shown here as reported. Surface area: 524 acres.
Is Tionesta Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Tionesta Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Tionesta Lake?: Tionesta Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Tionesta Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Tionesta Lake?: Tionesta Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Pennsylvania's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Tionesta Lake?: Tionesta Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Outflow Recreation Area (pa), Tionesta Rec. Area Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.