The Fish & Boat Commission annually stocks streams and lakes in Pennsylvania with Coldwater (Trout) and Warmwater/Coolwater (Muskellunge, Walleye, panfish, etc.) species. We update schedules as changes arise, but note all stockings are subject to change without notice.
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Can you fish Class A streams year-round in PA?
NOTE: It is legal to fish for trout in Class A Trout Streams year-round, with no harvest beginning the day after Labor Day through the opening day of trout season the following year.
What streams can you fish year-round in PA?
- Blue Hole Creek โ from confluence with Garys Run downstream to mouth.
- Fall Creek โ from confluence with Ansell Run downstream to mouth.
- Laurel Hill Lake. Youghiogheny River (Fayette / Somerset) โ from the lake downstream to the confluence of the Casselman River.
Can you fish Class A trout streams in PA?
Class A Wild streams are the best of the best in Pennsylvania, based on the fish population levels. For a stream to qualify as a Class A Wild brook trout stream, there must be a minimum of 26.7 pounds of brook trout per stream acre, and they must comprise at least 75 percent of the total trout biomass found.
What is a Class A trout stream Pa?
Class A Wild Trout Waters are the highest biomass class given to streams in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. They are considered to contain the highest-quality naturally reproducing trout populations in Pennsylvania.
Can you stock a creek with fish?
Whether you have a pond, lake, or a stream, stocking fish can be a great way to take advantage of your water. Some people stock for fishing, others just to establish a healthy community.
How many trout can you keep in PA 2022?
The season officially opens at 8 a.m. on April 2, and anglers are allowed to keep five trout a day that are at least seven inches long.
Is it legal to fish on Sunday in PA?
Sunday is one of Pennsylvania’s designated fish-for-free days. Anyone can legally fish a stream, river or lake with no license required. Trout and salmon permits and Lake Erie Permits also are not required.
How many trout are you allowed to keep in Pennsylvania?
Currently, the daily creel and size limits for trout during the regular season of trout (8 a.m. on the opening day of trout season through Labor Day) are five trout per day (combined species), only two of which may be lake trout, greater than or equal to nine inches in length.
Where is the best fly fishing in Pennsylvania?
- Falling Springs Branch Creek. Pool on Falling Springs Branch Creek.
- Big Spring Creek.
- Letort Spring Run.
- Codorus Creek.
- Yellow Creek.
- Yellow Breeches.
- Clark Creek.
- Little Juniata River.
Where is the biggest trout in PA?
A 68-year-old lifelong angler caught a brown trout that weighed in at 20 pounds and nine ounces, setting a Pennsylvania record, according to the state Fish and Boat Commission. The trout was 33.75 inches long, with a girth of just over 21 inches. It was caught in Lake Erie on Aug. 8 by Robert Ferraro of Erie.
Can you trout in PA in March?
Yes, anglers, there are stocked trout waters across the state where you may fish prior to the 8 a.m. opening of trout season โ Saturday, March 30, in southeastern Pennsylvania and Saturday, April 13, across the rest of the state.
Can you trout fish at night in PA?
Night fishing is generally permitted in areas designated for fishing and non-whitewater boating.
Can you keep brook trout in PA?
In headwater, infertile streams, few Brook Trout may reach “legal” keeping size for anglers. Large Brook Trout caught by anglers in Pennsylvania are mostly hatchery-stocked fish. But they may have spent some time in the stream since their planting, grown bigger, and become wary of anglers.
How do you fish for trout in a stream?

Do I need a trout stamp for catch and release in PA?
Can I fish in Trout stocked waters or wilderness Trout streams without a permit if I’m catching and releasing? No. In order to fish Trout-stocked waters or any designated Trout stream in PA, you will need a Trout stamp, regardless of whether you’re harvesting or releasing the fish.
How do you catch brook trout in small streams?
Most bait anglers prefer a spinning rod, but some prefer a fly rod. A long fly rod and an underhand pitching motion can be used to precisely plop a baited hook into tight places, a tactic which is often necessary on small streams with overhanging trees. Of course, a fly rod can be used to present flies.
Does Pennsylvania have good fly fishing?
Pennsylvania has some of the finest warmwater angling opportunities in the country, with fly rod angling for bass, pike, walleye, muskie, and carp. One of the best warmwater spots is on the Susquehanna River system. The river is a hot spot for smallmouth bass anglers.
Can trout breed in a pond?
Yes, trout can spawn in lakes and ponds. Even in ones without inlet or outlet streams. The spawning success rate is low, but it is high enough to sustain populations of wild trout. When given the choice, trout prefer to spawn in clean gravel beds beneath clean, cold flowing water which is oxygen rich.
Can stocked trout reproduce?
These fish are planted as diploids โ which can reproduce because there is no threat or impact to listed or native fish assemblages if they reproduce.
Can I stock trout in a river?
From 1 January 2015 it will not be permitted to stock rivers with fertile farmed brown trout โ also known as ‘diploids’. The only brown trout that can be stocked into rivers will be sterile female ‘triploid’ trout or brown trout from breeding programmes that use locally sourced brood-stock.
How long can you trout fish in PA?
You can fish year-round for trout in Pennsylvania. There are over 50 waters within the Commonwealth that are classified as stocked trout waters open to year-round fishing. During the “extended season” on these waters, however, no trout may be taken.
Do senior citizens need a fishing license in PA?
Yes. A valid Pennsylvania fishing license is required of persons age 16 and over to fish or angle for any species of fish. The license must be upon your person and provided upon the request of an officer.
What is the best bait to catch trout?
For catching trout, many anglers turn to natural baits. Nightcrawlers and other types of earthworms are an excellent choice. Salmon eggs, mealworms and locally available baits can also be very successful and often are similar to food sources in the environment.
Can you drink while fishing in PA?
no. There is no open container law for boating in PA. I DO NOT drink alcohol AT ALL when operating my boat.