Overview
Blue Marsh Lake is a roughly 1,120-acre reservoir on Tulpehocken Creek northwest of Reading in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District completed the project in 1979 for flood control, water supply, water quality, and recreation on the Schuylkill River system. Sitting just outside a major metro area, Blue Marsh is one of the most accessible Corps lakes in eastern Pennsylvania.
Surrounded by more than 4,500 acres of project land and an extensive multi-use trail network, Blue Marsh combines open water with wooded shoreline, wetlands, and gently rolling farmland views. The earthfill dam stands about 98 feet high on Tulpehocken Creek, and the basin offers a mix of flats, points, and creek-channel structure that supports both warmwater fishing and day-use boating close to Reading.
The lake is a regional destination for boating, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and swimming, with a beach, boat launches, picnic areas, and interpretive trails. Fisheries and boating regulations are set by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and the project's public lands draw heavy use from Berks County and the broader Schuylkill Valley.
Water levels are managed by the Corps around a summer pool of 290 feet above mean sea level and a winter pool near 285 feet to provide additional flood storage on Tulpehocken Creek. Elevations can rise quickly after storms as the project stores runoff for the Schuylkill basin, so monitoring current lake levels is helpful for boating, fishing, trail and shoreline access, and planning around the beach and launches.
Current Conditions
Blue Marsh Lake is currently 0.19 feet above full pool and has risen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendRisingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeUp 0.15 ft
- 30-day changeUp 0.02 ft
- Drought conditionsAbnormally Dry
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Blue Marsh Lake is a 1,121-acre reservoir on the Tulpehocken Creek managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.