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Trout season will see some significant changes for 2022 here in Pennsylvania.
The first of those will be a return to a single opening day with a single Mentored Youth Trout Day statewide. In 2007, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission adopted two separate opening days for trout. In 18 southeastern counties, trout season opened two weeks earlier than the traditional first day in the rest of the state. This format also necessitated two separate Mentored Youth Trout Days.
The first day of trout season will now happen on the first Saturday of April each year rather than the traditional mid-April opener. This year, trout season will begin on April 2 with the Mentored Youth Trout Day on March 26.
With trout season starting two weeks earlier, the trout stocking schedules have been updated accordingly. Stocked trout waters are closed to all fishing from Feb. 21 until the opening of trout season instead of the traditional March 1 closure. The annual trout-stocking efforts of the PFBC will get underway this week in most counties of our region.
During 2022, the PFBC will release about 3.2 million adult trout into 696 streams and 128 lakes around the state. These figures include approximately 2.2 million rainbow trout; 686,000 brown trout; and 293,000 brook trout. The average size of trout stocked by the PFBC is expected to be 11 inches and weighing slightly more than a half-pound. In addition to trout raised at state fish hatcheries, PFBC cooperative nurseries operated by sportsmen's clubs across the state will add another 1 million trout to waters open to public angling.
To increase the chances of anglers catching a larger trout, the PFBC will be stocking about 70,000 brood fish measuring 14 to 20 inches long. About 70 percent of these bigger book, brown and rainbow trout will be stocked during the preseason and 30 percent will be released during the in-season stockings.
Many waterways will also receive a few of the 13,000 golden rainbows, which typically average 1.5 pounds. About 80 percent of those gaudy yellow freak fish will be stocked preseason and the other 20 percent during in-season stockings.
Volunteers will again be welcome to come along and to help carry fish to the streams during any scheduled stocking. During 2020 and 2021, the public was not permitted to participate in trout stocking activities due to COVID concerns. It's great to know the many dedicated volunteers who willingly give their time and effort to help distribute the allotments of trout will have the opportunity to do so again. Those looking for an excuse to get outside for a little late-winter exercise can come out and help with an upcoming stocking.
Next week will comprise the busiest week of preseason trout stocking in Blair County. Blair Gap Run is scheduled to be stocked Tuesday, Feb. 22; the meeting place is the Newry post office at 10:15 a.m. Beaverdam Creek and the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River will be stocked on Wednesday, Feb. 23 starting at 10:15 from the Claysburg post office. Poplar Run and South Poplar Run will be stocked on Thursday, Feb. 24; the meeting place is the Newry post office at 10:15 a.m. Bald Eagle Creek will be stocked on Friday, Feb. 25; meeting place is village of Bald Eagle at 9:30 a.m. Canoe Creek Lake will be stocked on Saturday, Feb. 26; meeting place is the Canoe Creek State Park office at 10:15 a.m.
Other preseason trout stockings in Blair County will continue later this month and during March. Clover Creek will be stocked Feb. 28; the meeting place is the Williamsburg post office at 10:15 a.m. Canoe Creek will be stocked on March 11; meeting place is the Canoe Creek State Park office at 10:15 a.m. The final preseason stocking for Blair County will be Bells Gap Run, Riggles Gap Run and Vanscoyoc Run on March 23; meeting place is the Sheetz store off the Bellwood exit of I-99 at 10:15 a.m.
Most stocked trout waters also receive at least one in-season stocking some time from the opening week of the season until late May. Bad weather or high water may cause last-minute postponements of some stockings, so scheduled stockings are subject to change.
For complete information on the preseason and in-season stocking schedules for other counties, check the PFBC website at www.fishandboat.com. Anglers with smartphones can find the stocking schedules and other information about fishing in Pennsylvania through the FishBoatPA app, which is available free from the Apple App Store and Google Play.