In terms of trout fishing performances, we might see last Saturday’s Mentored Youth Trout Day as a practice for the regular season. Many young anglers were fishing on Pennsylvania’s stocked trout waters. They were allowed to catch two trout each with the guidance of adult mentors on Saturday.
But Pennsylvania’s Mentored Youth Trout Day is essentially a warm-up for the main event: the opening day of trout fishing, scheduled for this Saturday, April 6. It's a highly anticipated day for outdoor enthusiasts. Anglers with valid licenses can catch a daily limit of five trout that are at least seven inches long starting at 8:00 a.m.
To meet the demand for trout, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) will release about 3.2 million adult trout in 697 streams and 129 lakes open to public fishing across the state. This will include approximately 2.4 million rainbow trout; 702,000 brown trout; and 132,000 brook trout in Pennsylvania streams and other waterways.
For those interested in more trout facts, consider this: The average size of the stocked trout is 11 inches long and weigh about 0.58 pounds. The number and average size of the trout stocked in 2024 are similar to those stocked over the past decade. The PFBC will also release about 70,000 brood fish, which are 2½ to 3½ year-old hatchery-raised rainbow trout, brown trout, and brook trout measuring 14-20 inches.
Roughly 70% of the larger brood trout will be released into streams and lakes before the opening day of trout season, and 30% will be released during the season. In 2024, the PFBC will release about 14,000 golden rainbow trout weighing an average of 1.5 pounds. These unique trout are popular among anglers due to their vibrant golden-orange color.
Approximately 75% of the golden rainbow trout will be released before the season, with 25% released during the season. In addition to trout from state fish hatcheries, PFBC cooperatives will add another one million trout to public fishing waters throughout the year.
The PBFC provides a searchable trout stocking schedule by county, listing waterways alphabetically, and showing stocking dates, volunteer meeting locations, and the types of trout planned for each location. This year’s stocking lists also include the Keystone Select Stocked Trout Waters, where sections of 24 streams across the state are stocked with large trout measuring 14-20 inches and managed under Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only or Miscellaneous Special regulations.
In the program, about 10,000 big trout will be given out to the streams. The trout will be put in at a rate of 175 to 225 per mile of the stream, which is similar to the numbers of similarly sized fish in the best wild trout waters in Pennsylvania.
People who fish in our area and want to find areas with stocked trout will have plenty of chances. In Berks County, the stocked trout waters are Antietam Creek, Antietam Reservoir, Furnace Creek, Hay Creek, Kistler Creek, Little Lehigh Creek, Little Swatara Creek, Maiden Creek, Manatawny Creek, Mill Creek, Northkill Creek, Ontelaunee Creek, Perkiomen Creek, Pine Creek, Sacony Creek, Scotts Run Lake, Spring Creek, Tulpehocken Creek, West Branch Conestoga River, Willow Creek, and Wyomissing Creek.
In Bucks County, the stocked waters include the East Branch Perkiomen Creek, Levittown Lake, Neshaminy Creek, Tohickon Creek, and Unami Creek.
The PFBC recently announced changes to the trout stocking locations in Bucks County because the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is doing major construction projects in Delaware Canal State Park, which has led to lower-than-normal water levels in sections of the Delaware Canal (Section 03 and Section 05) that were supposed to be stocked with trout. Due to these conditions, all trout stockings on the Delaware Canal in 2024 have been canceled.
To make up for the loss of fishing opportunities due to these cancellations, the PFBC has found several other locations in Bucks County to stock trout this spring. These waters include Caroline Lake (Bucks County Department of Parks and Recreation) and The Giving Pond (DCNR, Delaware Canal State Park). Levittown Lake (PFBC) is an established stocking location and will get more trout this season.
In Bucks County, the additional stocked trout waters are Caroline Lake, The Giving Pond, and Levittown Lake.
In Chester County, the stocked trout waters include Beaver Creek, Big Elk Creek, Buck Run, East Branch Brandywine Creek, East Branch Elk Creek, East Branch White Clay Creek, French Creek, Middle Branch White Clay Creek, Pickering Creek, Pocopson Creek, West Branch Brandywine Creek, West Valley Creek, and White Clay Creek.
Trout fishing areas in Delaware County where fish have been released include Chester Creek, Darby Creek, Ithan Creek, Little Darby Creek, and Ridley Creek. There are different sections of Ridley Creek and West Branch Chester Creek that have been stocked as well.
Areas in Montgomery County where trout have been released include Deep Creek Dam, East Branch Perkiomen Creek, Kepner Creek, Loch Alsh Reservoir, Manatawny Creek, Pennypack Creek, Perkiomen Creek, Skippack Creek, Stony Creek, Unami Creek, and Wissahickon Creek.
Wherever you are on the opening day of fishing season, good luck and happy fishing. Hope to see you at the stream.
Tom Tatum writes about outdoor activities for the MediaNews Group. You can contact him at [email protected].
