Quemahoning Reservoir’s Family Recreation Area is a launch option for paddlers and anglers in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands, but check your boat setup before towing. The reservoir authority’s electric-motor rules are more specific than a simple “electric only” label, and they affect equipment you may already have aboard.
Check motor voltage and remove gasoline equipment
The Cambria Somerset Authority’s special regulations limit electric-motor supply to 24 volts maximum. Internal-combustion engines, their fuel containers and other petroleum-consuming devices may not be possessed while boating on these waters. A gasoline outboard left aboard is therefore a different issue from simply choosing not to run it.
The authority lists no maximum boat length, prohibits personal watercraft, e-foils and electric surfboards, and requires boats to have PFBC registration or a PA DCNR launch/use permit. Boats must remain outside the buoy-marked spillway area. Read the full authority rules and on-site postings before launching.
Check the voltage actually supplied to your motor and inventory the gear aboard before leaving home. If any part of your setup is uncertain, contact the authority before trailering to the lake. This is especially useful for anglers who usually fish with a gasoline-powered boat and add a trolling motor for restricted waters.
Family Recreation Area launch hours and fees
The QFRA operator’s website currently lists the boat launch as open 24 hours, with the day-use area open 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Its posted passes are $5 for a day pass and $10 with a trailer. Confirm current access, payment arrangements and seasonal facility availability at 814-233-9512 before traveling.
Those separate schedules matter if your group expects to use picnic or other day-use facilities around a fishing trip. Plan the arrival around the services you need, rather than assuming every part of the recreation area follows the launch schedule.
Find the correct recreation-area entrance
The operator’s directions page recommends searching for Quemahoning Family Rec Area in navigation because it has no physical mailing address. Its approach uses Green Bridge Road and Quemahoning Dam Road; after crossing the bridge and turning right at the stop sign, continue about two miles to the entrance on the right. Follow the complete official directions for your approach.
Save the route before departure and confirm that your map is taking you to the Family Recreation Area. The PFBC access inventory contains more than one Quemahoning point, so a general reservoir search can return a different location.
Fishing, paddling and launch preparation
The authority’s recreation amenities directory lists trailer and car-top launches, fishing and an accessible fishing pier at Quemahoning. Ask staff which current approach serves your chosen activity if accessible access is important. Check Pennsylvania fishing rules and license requirements separately from the recreation-area pass.
Prepare equipment away from the ramp lane, keep access roads clear and put on a properly fitted life jacket before launching. For an electric-boat trip, leave a comfortable battery reserve for the return. Wind and a longer route can change how much energy the outing needs.
Compare other Laurel Highlands launches
For another electric-only lake, compare the Keystone Lake access guide. If your boat setup is better suited to a reservoir with unlimited-horsepower boating, see the Bush Recreation Area guide at Loyalhanna Lake and check its current conditions.
Map: Quemahoning Recreation Area access
This map uses the PFBC inventory’s Quemahoning Recreation Area point, rounded to 40.16719, -78.95894. Match it to the operator’s directions and posted entrance signs; it is not a live report of ramp or dock conditions.
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