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The first Saturday in April, of course, is now the first day of trout season throughout Pennsylvania.
Thousands of anglers will converge on their favorite waterways to make their first cast of the season at the official start time of 8 a.m. next Saturday. More than 3 million trout were stocked in the weeks leading up to the opening day. To fish for trout, all anglers 16 or older must have a valid Pennsylvania fishing license and a trout/salmon permit.
Last fall, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission gave final approval to an interesting new special regulation that will affect sections of some popular trout streams around the state. Several years ago, fisheries managers realized that sections of each of these streams supported high populations of wild brown trout but were being stocked by the PFBC. As part of its strategic management plan for trout fisheries, PFBC policy is not to stock stream sections that are designated as a Class A wild trout stream. From 2011 to 2015, biologists surveyed those stream sections and found that they supported brown trout populations that qualified for the designation of a Class A wild trout stream.
Because these streams are subjected to high angler use, especially in the early season, the PFBC adjusted its policy to allow stocking on a few Class A wild trout waters. This policy produced a special regulation that began in 2015 for those handful of streams now designated as both Class A wild trout streams and stocked trout waters. The only difference between these waters and all other stocked trout waters is during the extended trout season from the day after Labor Day until the end of February fishing is permitted but no trout can be harvested.
To assess the effectiveness of this special regulation, biologists resurveyed the stream sections to determine if their populations of wild trout had changed significantly. PFBC staff also conducted angler surveys of angler counts and interviews on the opening day of trout season on all sections and a season-long survey on Bald Eagle Creek in Centre County from its junction with Spring Creek near Milesburg downstream to the inlet of Sayers Lake.
During the interviews when presented with possible new management options for the special sections, 57 percent of the anglers surveyed were opposed to stocking being discontinued. That result was not unexpected and a significant reason for the policy change to continue stocking over a wild trout population.
In general, stocked trout waters attract more anglers desiring to harvest trout than wild trout waters do. During 2004 and 2005, statewide angler surveys revealed that harvest rates on stocked trout waters were about five times higher than the harvest rates on waters managed for wild trout with no stocking.
The in-depth surveys on Bald Eagle Creek during 2021 showed that anglers caught and harvested more stocked rainbow trout than wild brown trout, as would be expected. Angler harvest of wild brown trout, however, was also significant, including numbers of brown trout 14 inches or longer. Fisheries managers were concerned that angler harvests could be substantially affecting wild brown trout population.
To allow the wild brown trout populations that currently coexist with stocked rainbows to reach their full potential, a new miscellaneous special regulation was drafted and received final approval last October. All types of tackle are permitted for fishing on the stream sections under this regulation, but all brown trout caught must be released with no harvest at any time.
All other trout species are subject to the statewide standard of a 7-inch size limit and a five fish daily limit from the opening of trout season until Labor Day; from the day after Labor Day until the third Sunday in February, fishing is permitted but no trout can be harvested.
Several streams with sections subject to this new regulations are located in our region or close to it. They include: Bald Eagle Creek in Centre County from the confluence with Spring Creek downstream to the inlet of Sayers Lake; Yellow Creek in Bedford County from the confluence with Beaver Creek downstream to Red Bank Hill; Penns Creek in Centre County from the bridge on State Route 45 in Spring Mills downstream to the confluence with Elk Creek: Kishacoquillas Creek in Mifflin County from 1.5 miles upstream of the confluence with Tea Creek downstream to the Penn Central Railroad bridge; and Fishing Creek in Clinton County from the confluence with Cedar Run downstream to the Country Club Road bridge at Mill Hall.
Also included in the new regs are Pohopoco Creek in Carbon County, Little Lehigh Creek in Lehigh County, Monocacy Creek in Lehigh and Northampton counties and Martins Creek in Northampton County. Full details on this new regulation and information on the specific stream sections are included on pages 16 and 17 of the 2024 Pennsylvania Fishing Summary booklet that comes with your new fishing license.