
Feed the Carp - Linesville Spillway - Linesville, PA
Posted by:
Bon Echo
N 41° 37.795 W 080° 26.483
17T E 546530 N 4608837
Known as the place "Where the Ducks Walk on the Fish"
Waymark Code: WMMPNB
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 10/20/2014
Views: 70
Arguably the most popular tourist attraction in Crawford County (and possibly one of the most popular attractions in the entire state), with up to 400,000 visitors each year, and dating back as far as the 1930's. At this location, you can feed the thousands of wild carp which flock here simply because they are fed.
You can purchase bread at the Spillway Concession stand for $1 per loaf. Or, bring your own. Bread, bagels, and buns are commonly seen hitting the water and quickly being devoured by the swarming mass of fish. Ducks and geese stand by for the odd wayward scrap. The carp are not limited to the area below the spillway, and carp can be found with mouths open (as if begging for food) along the walkway nearest the parking area.
In the future the feeding activities may be limited to "approved fish food pellets", which will be available for purchase at the spillway. Public pressure to maintain the status quo has effectively prevent such restrictions from being put in place by the PA DCNR (Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources ), and even even the spillway concession stand (under lease from the PA DCNR) sells bread to be used for feeding the fish. furthermore, "Feeding the Carp at the Spillway" is listed on the DCNR website as one of the 10 Ten Things to Do at Pymatuning State Park (
visit link) A recent $2.8-million improvement to the spillway, complete with a large parking lot, new concession stand with accessible washrooms, pathways, platforms, and signs, further show the underlying support by the DCNR for this major tourist attraction.
This location has been featured in national reports such as the New York Times www.nytimes.com/2008/09/01/us/01carp.html The Wall Street Journal (
visit link) NPRs "All Things Considered" (
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