Northwest Region
REMINDER – Mandatory Cold Weather Life Jacket Wear began on November 1, 2017 and runs through April 30, 2018.
Learn more here: http://www.fishandboat.com/Boat/BoatingRegulations/Pages/MandatoryPFD.aspx
Clarion County
Kahle Lake
Anglers are catching Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, crappies, and Yellow Perch. Anglers and boaters are reminded that Kahle Lake is a PFBC owned lake. All boats, including canoes and kayaks, must be registered or have a launch permit to use this facility.
Crawford County
Pymatuning Reservoir
Anglers are catching Walleye, Yellow Perch, and crappie throughout most of the bays in the north end of the lake. The Walleye anglers are targeting gravel points at dusk with stickbaits and jigs. Yellow Perch and crappie anglers are using jigs tipped with minnows under a float around shallow structure. The minimum size for crappie is 9 inches and the daily limit is 20 on Pymatuning Reservoir.
Conneaut Lake
Anglers are catching crappies at the north end. The hot bait seems to be jigs tipped with a minnow or wax worms.
Erie County
Stocked Trout Waters
Anglers had a great opening day of Trout season on Saturday April 14. Anglers were catching Brown and Rainbow Trout using mealworms, wax worms, and various colors of pastebaits.
Presque Isle Bay
Anglers are catching Yellow Perch in Presque Isle Bay and along the Bayfront. Anglers are concentrated at Liberty Park, Dobbins Landing, and the Port Authority Building. Minnows seem to be the bait of choice.
Northcentral Region
Get your 1, 3, 5 OR 10 YEAR FISHING LICENSE ONLINE NOW – http://www.gonefishingpa.com/
REMINDER – NOVEMBER 1st – APRIL 30th it is MANDATORY COLD WEATHER LIFE JACKET WEAR – http://www.fishandboat.com/boat/boatingregulations/pages/mandatorypfd.aspx
Trout stocking schedules are UP! – http://fbweb.pa.gov/stocking/TroutStockingDetails_GIS.aspx
April 14, 2018 marked the first day of trout season statewide! Below are a few photos from excited anglers, provided by Tackle Shack, Wellsboro, PA. Thank you for sharing!
Tioga County
Trout season opened with wonderful weather! Most anglers had a great weekend fishing area lakes and streams. Recent rain events increased flows in all streams and rivers. Most streams are on their way back down and should be fishable by this weekend.
Hamilton Lake, Pine Creek, Asaph Run, Beechwood Lake
Over the opening weekend, anglers caught fish using shrimp, pink salmon eggs, butterworms, waxworms, red worms and various paste baits.
Crappies are running a little behind this year. With continued cold weather and muddy conditions, it might be another few weeks until Crappie season kicks off.
Pine Creek
Hatches are minimal. Most anglers are catching trout subsurface, using stonefly patterns, worm imitations, caddis pupa and various small streamers. Olive streamers are working best, but with the dirty water, black will be a good color.
Centre County
Foster Joseph Sayers Lake Spillway
Anglers are catching Crappie, Yellow Perch and Bluegill using butterworms, red worms, yellow twister tails, and beadhead nymphs
Spring Creek
Water temperature is in the 40s. The water is currently high and dirty, but dropping and clearing fast. Fishing should be good the remainder of the week and weekend!
Anglers are catching trout using nymphs (olive nymphs #18; baetis emergers #18-22; Walt’s Worms #12-16; olive scuds #14-18).
Anglers are also catching trout using Blue Wing Olive, midge dry flies on upper Spring Creek and Grannom Caddis dry flies on lower Spring Creek. (Blue Wing Olive #18-22; Midges #22-26, Grannom Caddis #12-14)
Suckers are spawning! Yellow or cream sucker spawn (#12-16) are catching trout, especially those stacked behind the suckers.
During and after rain events are a great time to catch trout using olive or black streamers near the current breaks and banks (slumpbusters #6-10).
Clinton County
Fishing Creek
Water temperature is in the low 40s. Due to recent rain events the stream is currently blown out, with high and dirty water. It should be fishable by the weekend, so be patient!
Anglers are catching trout using streamers (black or olive #6-10) and nymphs (iron lotus #14-18; Frenchie #14-16; Prince nymph #12-16).
A few anglers are also catching trout using Blue Wing Olives (#18-22) and midges (#22-26)!
Northeastern Region
Carbon County
Although the weather for the Regular Opening Day of Trout season was nearly perfect, anglers were reporting difficulty catching trout. The district’s stocked trout waters were flowing low and clear which may have contributed to the lower catch rates. Most of the streams received moderate to light fishing pressure. Anglers using night crawler, paste baits and minnow had reported better success catching trout.
Many anglers have been reporting seeing a good number of trout still held over from the Regular Opening Day of the trout season. The in-season trout stockings are now underway in the district with the Aquashicola Creek, Buckwa Creek (Monroe County), Princess Run (Monroe County), and the Lizard Creek being recently stocked. Although these streams have been recently stocked, the fishing pressure is light due to the cold weather, and the streams flowing higher than normal.
Anglers fishing the Lehigh River, near the Lehigh Gorge and downriver in the Jim Thorpe area, had reported good success catching trout during the weekend of the Regular Opening Day of Trout season. Most successful anglers were using stick baits or spinner. The Lehigh River had recently received a trout stocking by a local sportsmen’s club.
Anglers are reminded that the harvest of bass is closed from April 14th through June 15th and is currently catch & release only. Anglers are encouraged to consult the PA Fishing Summary regarding the guidelines on catch & release.
Columbia County
Susquehanna County
Sydney, age 11, and her mom Renee Seman of Lenoxville caught up to the stocking truck on the last stop of the day and assisted with the trout planting. Sydney was looking forward to stocking but got out of school late and thought she had missed her opportunity until she spotted the big white truck traveling towards “Johnson Hole”. After assisting she said, “This is the best day of my life.”
Southeastern Region
E. Berks County/N. Montgomery County
Manatawny Creek
Manatawny Creek, Section 2, (From: SR0073 to: 250m dnst from Furnace Rn) and the first half of Manatawny Creek, Section 4 (From: Oley/ Earl Twsp Line to Airport Rd) received an in-season stocking of trout on Monday, 4/9. Section 4 was stocked from the Earl Twps. Line downstream to SR 562. On Thursday, 4/26, the bottom half of Section 4 will receive an in-season stocking. The truck will start just below SR 562 on Spotts Mill Rd and will stock Sections 6 & 8 as well, finishing in Pottstown. A float box crew float-stocked preseason and in season from just below the Earl Township line to the Earl Township Recreation Area along Manatawny Rd.
Lancaster County
On Friday, April 6, Conowingo Creek and Fishing Creek, received an in-season plant of Rainbow and Brown Trout.
Significant sections of the Conowingo Creek were float stocked as per below:
FLOAT STOCKED SECTIONS OF STOCKED TROUT WATERS
| Stocked Trout Water | Section |
| Conowingo Creek | Downstream from Swift Road Bridge
Downstream from The Goshen Mill Rd. Bridge Downstream from 2108 Robert Fulton Hwy. To Sr 222 Bridge – Downstream from Bridge at Goat Hill Rd. To Sr 222 Bridge |
| Fishing Creek | Downstream from Silver Spring Rd. Bridge at Camp Andrews |
Fishing Creek: With its headwaters located near the pond at 1000 Truce Road, New Providence, the Fishing Creek flows for approximately 14 miles before entering the Susquehanna River near the railroad bridge west of Susquehannock Drive [dead end]. The stocked section is an approximate 8.5 mile stretch of Fishing Creek.
Considering an angling excursion to the Lancaster County Conservancy’s Fishing Creek South Preserve that is trout stocked by the PFBC? Refer to the link for more information: http://www.lancasterconservancy.org/preserve/fishing-creek/
At present the LCC Fishing Creek Preserve has been experiencing environmental damage because of illegal off-roading. Those who may be inclined to “muddy their vehicles” will be charged accordingly. Anyone with knowledge of this activity can report same accordingly to the PFBC, PGC or PSP via Lancaster County-Wide Communications at 717-664-1180 or via the respective agencies at Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s SE Region Office at 717-626-0228 [M-F 8-4], Pennsylvania Game Commission’s SE Region Office at 610 – 926-3136 [extension #9], Pennsylvania State Police –Troop J/Lancaster at 717-299-7650.
PFBC Cooperative Nursery Stocking Events
Southern Lancaster County Farmer’s Sportsman Association, a PFBC Sponsor since 1971, completed a supplemental stocking of Bowery Run on Sunday, 4/8.
Donegal Fish & Conservation Association, a PFBC Sponsor since 1967, completed stocking of the Donegal Creek – Section #2 [upstream of the Special Regulation Area] on 4/11. The DFCA was unduly thwarted in their efforts to stock the Donegal this season in consideration of the weather and soft ground to be traversed with their stocking vehicles.
Philadelphia County
Please be reminded of the Striped Bass regulations in the Delaware River and estuaries. In PA, during April and May, the slot fish creel and size limit is two (2) fish measuring between 21 to 25 inches. On June 1, the creel limit changes in size and creel limit to one (1) Striped Bass that must be 28in or over. Please be aware the New Jersey and Delaware have a NO POSSESSION regulation during April and May which is being enforced. Please do not have fish on board your boat while fishing in NJ or DL even if they were legally caught in PA. Consider the center of the channel as the state dividing line.