Lake Wallenpaupack Weather by Month: What to Expect and the Best Time to Visit

Search for Lake Wallenpaupack weather and you get a 10-day forecast. That helps for this weekend, but not for deciding when to come, what to pack, or whether the docks will even be in. This guide uses NOAA's official 1991-2020 climate normals for the weather station at Hawley, about a mile east of downtown and a short drive from the dam, to show what a typical month looks like, then lines that up with the lake's own calendar: campground seasons, the fall drawdown, ice, and the events that fill each season.

One caveat on the numbers: the Hawley station sits at about 890 feet, while the lake's summer surface is close to 1,180 feet. Higher ground usually runs a little cooler, so read these as a close guide for the lake rather than an exact reading for your dock. All temperatures are 30-year averages, and any single week can swing well above or below them. [NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 Climate Normals, station Hawley 1 E]

Lake Wallenpaupack weather by month (NOAA normals, Hawley)

Average high / low and precipitation by month: January 33°F / 14°F, 3.2 in (13.0 in of snow). February 36°F / 14°F, 2.7 in (13.2 in snow). March 45°F / 22°F, 3.6 in (9.4 in snow). April 58°F / 32°F, 3.7 in (1.1 in snow). May 69°F / 43°F, 3.6 in. June 77°F / 53°F, 4.7 in. July 81°F / 57°F, 4.1 in. August 79°F / 55°F, 4.1 in. September 73°F / 48°F, 4.3 in. October 61°F / 36°F, 4.4 in. November 49°F / 27°F, 3.2 in (1.3 in snow). December 38°F / 20°F, 3.6 in (9.1 in snow).

Over a year that adds up to about 45 inches of precipitation spread fairly evenly across the months, with roughly 80 days that get at least a tenth of an inch, and about 47 inches of snow. Summers are warm but rarely hot: the station averages only about 6 or 7 days a year at 90°F or above. Winters are properly cold, with about 71 days a year when at least an inch of snow is on the ground, most of them from December through February. The median date of the first 32°F freeze in fall is October 4 and the median last spring freeze is May 10. [NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly and annual normals, Hawley 1 E]

Summer (June to August): peak lake season

July is the warmest month, with an average high of 81°F and lows in the upper 50s, so evenings on the water can call for a sweatshirt. June is the wettest month on average, at about 4.7 inches, usually as showers and thunderstorms rather than all-day rain. This is when the lake is at its fullest: Brookfield targets its normal high water level of 1,187 feet by June 1 and keeps the summer recreation level between about 1,180 and 1,187 feet. [Brookfield Renewable / Safe Waters, 2026]

Summer is the time for swimming, and Palmyra Township Public Beach is the only public swimming beach on the lake; it opens for the summer season only, daily from 11am to 5pm, weather permitting, with season dates set each year. Most boat rental fleets run from mid-May to mid-September (our boat rentals guide has each marina's dates and prices), Costa's Family Fun Park runs mid-May through late September, and Brookfield's four lakeside campgrounds are open from the last Saturday in April to the third Sunday in October. Expect the biggest crowds and the highest lodging demand on July and August weekends. [discovernepa.com + waynecountypa.net; Brookfield campground season, 2026]

Fall (September to November): foliage and quiet water

September still averages a 73°F high, which makes it the sweet spot for many visitors: summer warmth without summer crowds. By October the average high drops to 61°F and the median first frost arrives around October 4. In most years, Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources says the northern counties reach their best fall color between October 1 and 10; in 2026, DCNR's weekly report had Wayne and Pike counties at or near peak in early to mid October. [DCNR fall foliage reports, 2026]

Fall also changes the lake itself. Brookfield draws the lake down after Labor Day for dam testing and maintenance, so coves get shallower and rental fleets and campgrounds wind down by mid-October. All floating docks and mooring buoys must be off the lake before December 1. November is grey and chilly, averaging a 49°F high, but it is also the quietest month to book. The Hawley Farmers Market, presented by the Downtown Hawley Partnership, moves indoors to The Hawley Hub at 318 Main Avenue on Fridays from 1 to 4pm starting in November. [Brookfield Renewable FAQ + lake use policy; hawleyfarmersmarket.weebly.com, 2026]

Winter (December to February): snow, ice and Winterfest

January is the coldest month, with an average high of 33°F and an average low of about 14°F, and January and February each average around 13 inches of snow. That makes the lake region a real winter destination rather than a closed-for-the-season one. Hawley Winterfest 2026 runs December 11 to 13 in downtown Hawley, with the parade on Saturday, December 12 at 11am. Ski Big Bear at Masthope Mountain, about a half-hour east, is typically open from mid-December through mid-March. [poconomountains.com, discovernepa.com; ski-bigbear.com, 2026-10-12]

Once the lake freezes, ice fishing is allowed under Brookfield's public lake use policy and PA Fish & Boat Commission rules, but cars and trucks are banned from the ice, and Brookfield discourages snowmobiles and ATVs on the lake for safety. The PFBC recommends at least 4 inches of new, clear ice for ice fishing and warns that thickness varies across a lake, so never assume it is safe. Nearby Promised Land State Park has more than 23 miles of designated snowmobile trails, open after the end of deer season in late December, plus cross-country skiing and ice fishing on its two lakes. Winter is also bald eagle season around the lake; Kipp Island is closed to visitors from January 1 through July 31 to protect a nesting site, so watch from shore or the dam overlook instead. [Brookfield; PFBC; DCNR Promised Land winter page, 2026-10-12]

Spring (March to May): mud season, then green

March is still winter at the lake, averaging a 45°F high and more than 9 inches of snow, and April averages just over an inch. Docks and buoys can't go back in until the ice is gone, and the median last frost doesn't come until around May 10, so May is when the season really restarts: the average high reaches 69°F, Brookfield's campgrounds open the last Saturday in April, and the Hawley Farmers Market returns outdoors to Bingham Park on Fridays from 2 to 5pm in May. Anglers should note that walleye season is closed from March 15 to the first Saturday in May. [NOAA normals; Brookfield FAQ; PFBC inland regulations, 2026]

So when is the best time to visit Lake Wallenpaupack?

For boating, swimming and the full lake experience, come from late June through August, when the water is at its summer level, the beach and rentals are open, and highs average 77 to 81°F. Book early for July and August weekends. For a quieter trip with warm days, September is hard to beat. For fall color, aim for the first half of October, and check DCNR's weekly foliage report before you go, since peak shifts a week or more from year to year. For a winter getaway, plan around Winterfest weekend in mid-December or come in January and February for snow, ice fishing and skiing, and pack for highs near freezing.

Whatever the season, check the National Weather Service forecast for the lake the week of your trip, and call ahead to restaurants and attractions outside summer, since many shorten their hours. Our Things to Do, Places to Stay and Events pages are organized so you can plan by season, and every business named on this site links to its directory listing.

Year-round places to anchor a trip

Rain or snow, downtown Hawley works in any weather: the restored Hawley Silk Mill has shops and the Cocoon Coffee House & Bakery under one roof, and the Ritz Company Playhouse stages a Winterfest holiday show. For somewhere to stay, our guide to Hawley's historic hotels covers The Settlers Inn and The Ledges Hotel, and Silver Birches Resort sits right on the lake with The Dock on Wallenpaupack restaurant. Outdoors, Promised Land State Park is open in every season. Before an ice fishing trip, stop at the Wallenpaupack Sports Shop in Hawley, a tackle and sporting goods store since 1956.