'Reel' fun during National Fishing and Boating Week

Starting Sunday, June 1 National Fishing and Boating Week celebrates the outdoor recreation that brings hobbyists and leisurely boaters alike to area bodies of water. Grab your fishing rod and cast a line, these fishing and boating locations are perfect for the week that lies ahead.

The Recreational Fishing and Boating Foundation's national campaign Take Me Fishing released their first-ever list of the Top 100 Family Friendly Places to Fish and Boat ahead of this year's Fishing and Boating Week and coming in at number 24 is Quakertown, PA's Nockamixon State Park. Located just over an hour outside of city limits, Lake Nockamixon has six launching areas that are open 24 hours a day. Many vessels from motorboats to kayaks to inflatable watercraft are invited on the lake, and a boat rental concession is open daily until Labor Day for visitors without a boat. Fish species that inhabit the lake include walleye, muskellunge, pickerel, smallmouth and largemouth bass, striped bass hybrids, channel catfish, carp and various types of panfish, but fishers cannot cast out around launch docks, bridges and the boat rental area.

Blue Marsh Lake, located right outside of Reading, PA is a man-made lake originally constructed to provide flood control in the Schuylkill River Valley but has now grown to a major recreation spot. The lake contains three boat launch areas and a fishing platform at the Stilling Basin where some of the main catches are trout, bass, catfish, carp and boasters.

Downingtown, PA's Marsh Creek Lake draws in sail boaters in addition to motorized boaters. The nearby boat rental shop offers sail boat lessons and rentals and even gives tours of the lake. With two boat launch areas, the lake is prime for warm-water fish like bass, catfish and crappie.

The Neshaminy Creek in Tyler State Park in Newtown, PA is ideal for a calmer boating landscape. Kayaks, canoes and paddleboards are available to rent through Labor Day and a boathouse picnic area is located conveniently near the rental store. Fishers can drop bait from the banks of the creek or via canoe. Expect more warm-water species like sunfish, carp and panfish.

Stocked with trout each spring, the Wissahickon Creek in Fort Washington State Park aims to provide a fly fishing experience for both beginner and advanced fishers. The creek runs for 23 miles and has many open and easily accessible fishing spots along its banks.

Before you head out, make sure you have a fishing license and brush up on the Pennsylvania Fishing Regulations and Laws which includes regulations by location and species. However, if you don't have a license and still want to hit the water, mark your calendars for Pennsylvania's upcoming free fishing day.