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    Better Shoreline Better Fishing at Briar Creek Lake

    June 2026
    Columbia County

    Anglers heading to Briar Creek Lake in Columbia County will find new access along the shoreline thanks to our partnership with the Columbia County Conservation District and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

    Erosion damaged the northern shoreline of the lake by the boat ramp and created a dangerous slope anglers had to navigate to fish from the shoreline.

    After a shoreline improvement project, anglers now have a safe way to access the lake bank.

    Before

    An aerial view of the eroded shoreline along Briar Creek Lake shoreline.

    After

    An aerial view of shoreline deflectors installed along Briar Creek Lake shoreline.

    The project was done in two-phases.

    During the first phase of the project, crews moved almost 1,000 tons of rock to create shoreline deflectors, to help stabilize the shoreline and reclaim 600 feet of shoreline.

    The shoreline deflectors will give anglers a better opportunity to fish from the shore. Not only do anglers have a safer way to access the bank, but the deflectors stick out about 15 feet into the lake and give anglers the opportunity to fish deeper water from the bank.

    The deflectors will also stop any erosion along the bank, which will lead to better water quality and create spawning areas for panfish in the lake.

    In phase two, partners will improve the lake’s riparian buffer, the land along the edge of the lake by planting trees, shrubs and a pollinator area.

    Funding for this project came from a County Action Planning grant.

    Shoring Up Shorelines: Briar Creek Lake

    Thanks to our partners at the Columbia County Conservation District and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, we were able to reclaim 600 feet of shoreline along Briar Creek Lake in Columbia County, Pennsylvania.