PA 2017 Adult Trout Stocking Schedules Now Available

HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) announced today that the 2017 adult trout stocking schedules are now available online and on the PFBC's "FishBoatPA" mobile app.

Anglers can easily search the trout stocking schedules for locations and dates of interest. To view the list, simply go to www.fishandboat.com, click on the link "Fish" in the upper right corner, then select Trout Stocking Scheduleshttp://fbweb.pa.gov/stocking/TroutStockingDetails_GIS.aspx. From there, select a county and enter start and end dates from the calendars at the top of the page. Then press "Go."

For anglers with smartphones, an even easier way to view the schedules is through the FishBoatPA app, which is available for free from the Apple App and Google Play stores.

Included in this year's stocking lists are the Keystone Select Stocked Trout Waters, a program where 14 waters across the state will be stocked with large 14" - 20" trout. Approximately 4,500 large trout will be distributed among the 14 waters at a rate of 175 to 225 per mile, which is comparable to the numbers of similarly sized fish in Pennsylvania's best wild trout waters.

The program was launched last year with eight waters. This year six new waters are being added. Select here to see the list of waters.

The 2017 season will open March 25 for the Mentored Youth Trout Day program in 18 southeastern counties, including: Adams, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill and York.

The following weekend – April 1 – kicks off the Regional Opening Day of Trout Season in the same 18 southeastern counties.

A second Mentored Youth Day will be held on April 8, the Saturday before the April 15 regular opening day of trout season.

"The mentored youth program has been a very popular program from the moment we launched it in 2013," said PFBC Executive Director John Arway. "It encourages adults to take kids fishing, to show them that fishing is fun, and to promote active, outdoor recreation."

To participate in the mentored youth program, adult anglers (16 years or older) must have a valid fishing license and trout permit and be accompanied by a youth. Youth anglers must obtain a free PFBC-issued permit, or a voluntary youth fishing license (only $2.90 including all fees). Both are available at www.GoneFishingPA.com or at any of the more than 900 licensing agents across the state.

For every voluntary youth license sold, the PFBC receives approximately $5 in federal revenue from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Sport Fish Restoration Act program, which provides funds to states based on a formula that includes the number of licenses a state sells. All revenues earned from a voluntary youth fishing license are dedicated to youth fishing programs.

The PFBC annually stocks approximately 3.15 million adult trout in more than 720 streams and 120 lakes open to public angling. These figures include approximately 2 million rainbow trout; 640,000 brown trout; and 500,000 brook trout. As with past practice, the average size of the trout produced for stocking is 11 inches in length.

In addition to these fish, the PFBC plans to stock about 8,700 trophy golden rainbow trout that weigh an average of 1.5 pounds and measure at least 14 inches long. Also, PFBC cooperative nurseries run by sportsmen's clubs across the state will add another 1 million trout to waters open to public angling.

A majority of the trout waters will be stocked in advance of the mentored youth days. But some of the waters may not be stocked in time due to weather, water conditions and scheduling logistics. Also, special regulation areas, like Catch and Release Fly-Fishing Only or Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only, are not included in the mentored youth program.

Changes for the 2017 season include new waters, waters restored to the stocking program, and the removal of waters from the stocking program. 

2017 Adult Trout Stocking Program Changes

Stocking additions, extensions and waters restored to the stocking program

Glade Run Lake, Butler County
Adult trout stocking will be reinstated in this 51.9-acre lake following the completion of construction work to restore the lake. Rainbow trout will be stocked during the preseason and inseason stocking periods.

Lehigh River, Carbon County  
Located near Jim Thorpe, PA, a 3.1-mile section of stream extending from 0.3 miles upstream from the railroad bridge at Glen Onoko downstream to the confluence with Mauch Chunk Creek will be added to the adult trout stocking program. Rainbow trout and brown trout will be stocked during the preseason stocking period.

Cold Stream Dam, Centre County
Adult trout stocking will resume in this 9.9-acre impoundment following the completion of maintenance repairs to the dam structure. Rainbow trout will be stocked during the preseason and inseason stocking periods.

Pequea Creek, Lancaster County
A 1-mile extension of the stocking limits will lead to an increase in the number of trout allocated to this stream. The revised stocking limits will extend for a distance 5.4 miles from the Wanner Drive Bridge (T-515) downstream to a point 110 yards downstream from School Lane Road (T-948). Rainbow trout will be stocked during the preseason stocking period and Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout will be stocked during the inseason stocking period.

White Deer Creek, Union County
An inseason stocking will be added to the 3-mile section of stream extending from the SR 0080 Bridge (West bound lane) downstream to the mouth. Formerly, this section of stream had been stocked on a preseason-only basis. Brook trout and brown trout will be stocked during the inseason stocking period.

Early Warning Waters

Hockenberry Run, Clearfield County                                                                                 
An increase in the amount of landowner posting has led to the removal of trout stocking from the 4-mile section of stream extending from Irvona Reservoir on State Game Land # 120 downstream to the mouth.

Little Clearfield Creek, Clearfield County                                                                         
An increase in the amount of landowner posting has led to the removal of trout stocking from a 4.3-mile section of stream extending from 0.2 miles upstream from the SR 2023 Bridge (Turkey Hill Bridge) downstream to the confluence with Laurel Run.

Minsi Lake, Northampton County                                                                                    
The inseason and fall stockings will be removed from this 122-acre impoundment due to a drawdown scheduled to occur during the Spring of 2017 for maintenance repairs to the dam. A preseason stocking of rainbow trout will be made to provide early spring angling opportunities prior to the drawdown.

Donegal Lake, Westmoreland County                                                                           
This 89.9-acre impoundment will be removed from the adult trout stocking program in 2017 due to a drawdown to allow for maintenance repairs to the dam.

Media contact:
Eric Levis, Press Secretary
717.705.7806
[email protected]

SOURCE Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission

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