With many outdoor enthusiasts looking forward to hunting and hiking this time of year, don’t put your fishing gear away just yet because more trout are coming to waterways across Pennsylvania.
Starting Oct. 1, and continuing through mid-December, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) will release about 114,700 hatchery-raised adult rainbow, brown and brook trout in 117 stream sections and lakes.
These stockings are being designed to replenish many popular fishing spots for fishing through the fall and winter months.
All of the stocking dates and locations can be found on the PFBC’s website where it has the online stocking schedule for the entire year. Anglers and stocking volunteers should check the schedule often as they are subject to change because of weather and hatchery logistics.
“Waters are getting cooler by the week and many different species of fish are very active this time of year, including bass, panfish, catfish and walleye,” Brian Niewinski, director of the PFBC Bureau of Hatcheries, said in a news release about the stockings. “The addition of stocked trout from our hatcheries just adds something different to get excited about. The easiest way to know exactly when and where we’ll be stocking trout this fall and winter is to check the stocking schedule frequently and, as always, keep an eye out for any changes due to weather or other factors.”
In October, the PFBC plans to stock roughly 86,100 trout into 92 waters, including 52 lakes and 40 stream sections, including 16 Keystone Select Trout Waters, which are managed under Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only regulations.
An additional 25 lakes will be stocked with about 28,600 trout in November and December.
Extended trout season regulations
Extended Trout Season, which began on Sept. 8 and continues through Feb. 14, includes a daily creel limit of three trout of combined species.
The minimum size to keep a trout through Dec. 31 is seven inches long. In January, the minimum size is nine inches for the remainder of the extended season, unless a water is managed under special regulations. Extended Trout Season regulations apply only to designated Stocked Trout Waters, and harvest of trout in other waters during the extended trout season is prohibited.
Lifejacket requirement for fall boating
Anglers who plan to fish from a boat this fall and winter are reminded to wear a life jacket because the water temperatures can be frigid.
From Nov. 1 through April 30, anyone on a boat less than 16 feet in length, including all canoes, kayaks and paddleboards, is required to wear a life jacket. Children ages 12 and under must always wear a life jacket while paddling.
For more information on year-round fishing and boating opportunities in Pennsylvania, visit Fishandboat.com.
