Going Fishing? What You Need To Know About Pa.'s Upcoming ...

After a cold, snow-filled winter like the one we’ve just experienced, many area anglers are no doubt eager for the arrival of trout season. It’s a chance to get out on the water with family, catch up with friends and hopefully land a few fish in the process.

If you are heading out for the trout opener in a few weeks, here’s what you can expect:

What’s Old is New

For 2022, the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) is returning to a single, statewide opening day, a tradition that was in place for decades before the agency started offering a regional opening day in 2007. The 2022 season opener will take place Sat., April 2, in all counties, with a start time of 8 a.m.

In previous years, 18 southeastern and south-central counties, including Lehigh and Northampton, had a trout season opener that started two weeks earlier than the rest of the state. The PFBC, however, says the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the agency to revisit the concept of having two opening days and two Mentored Youth Trout Days in the state.

“While necessary changes to the last two seasons because of the pandemic were inconvenient for many people, we used the unprecedented opportunity to ask a lot of questions about how we’ve been doing things for the last fifteen years,” PFBC Board President Richard Kauffman said when the changes were first announced. “Through a wealth of public input, including angler surveys presenting opening day options, it became clear that our agency and most Pennsylvania anglers value and prefer a single opening day of trout season moving forward.”

Kids Get the First Shot

As with past years, kids under the age of 16 will have a chance to fish stocked trout waters first, on a day set aside just for them. The state’s Mentored Youth Trout Day, which will take place 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. March 26, provides youth with an opportunity to learn about the sport from mom, dad or another experienced angler, all without the pressure that comes with the opening-day crowds.

Any young person taking part in the mentored youth day must be accompanied by a licensed angler age 16 or older and have a Voluntary Youth Fishing License or Mentored Youth Permit. Kids can keep two trout that are at least 7 inches long, but adult anglers may not harvest any fish.

About Those Trout

Approximately 3.2 million adult trout, roughly the same as last year, will be stocked in 696 streams and 128 lakes that are open to fishing. Of these, 2.2 million will be rainbow trout, while 686,000 will be brown trout and 293,000 will be brookies. The PFBC reports that the average size of the fish stocked this year will be 11 inches.

The Creel Limit

Anglers who want to keep a few trout for the dinner table or freezer are allowed to take home five trout 7 inches or longer per day through Labor Day. After Labor Day, the creel limit drops to three daily.

Licenses

When you think about it, a Pennsylvania fishing license is a bargain, literally costing pennies per day. The 2022 resident license remains the same as last year, at $22.97, with a trout permit — necessary for fishing for trout — costing an additional $9.97. The voluntary mentored youth license, which helps to support the state’s mentored youth programs, is $2.97. If you are over age 65, a senior resident license is $11.97 annually, or $51.97 for a lifetime license.

Chance at a Trophy

While opening day is all about family fun, an added bonus is that there’s always a chance to land a trophy-sized fish. This year the PFBC is stocking approximately 70,000 brood fish — trout that are 2.5- to 3.5-years old and measure between 14 and 20 inches. Approximately 70% of these fish will be stocked prior to the season opener, with the rest released as part of in-season stockings.

The PFBC will also release roughly 13,000 golden rainbow trout, with 80% of them stocked before opening day. These brightly colored fish are prized by anglers young and old, with even the sight of one in the water enough to get anglers excited.

Try Something Different

If you really want a chance at landing a few nice-sized fish, consider checking out the Keystone Select Stocked Trout Waters, where bigger trout are stocked at a higher rate than on the regular trout waters. Some 10,000 fish ranging from 14-20 inches will be stocked in the 24 stream sections across the state that are part of the program. Fishing on these waters, however, is restricted to artificial lures and flies only, with all fish needing to be immediately released back into the water (Starting June 15, a person may creel three trout over 9 inches per day).

The closest Keystone Select water is McMichael Creek in lower Monroe County. Almost 2.5 miles, from the Glenbrook Road Bridge upstream to a spot near the bridge on Turkey Hill Road, in the program.

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