What to Know as Trout Season Gets Underway This Weekend

Brooks, browns and rainbows — trout, that is — are the stars of the annual show getting underway on April 1. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will stock a couple million trout statewide before the big day. More will be stocked as the season progresses. When the white trucks stop rolling, about 3.2 million trout will have been added to streams, ponds and small lakes.

According to the commission, the totals include approximately 2.3 million rainbow trout 707,000 brown trout and 168,000 brook trout. As with past agency practice, the average length of the trout produced for stocking is 11 inches, with an average weight of 0.58 pounds. Cooperative trout nurseries add another 1 million trout.

The most sought-after fish by many anglers is the golden rainbow trout. These trout usually have bright orange coloration accented with a red side-stripe. They are not a separate species, but a variety of rainbow trout caused by a mutant gene. The first golden rainbow was discovered in a West Virginia fish hatchery in 1955.

Fish culturists in the Mountain State bred trout selected for that gene, and the vibrant orange trout were first introduced into West Virginia waters for the state’s centennial celebration in 1963. In the early 1960s, some golden rainbows were traded with Pennsylvania for wild brown trout. Dubbed “palominos,” the new variety were first stocked in Pennsylvania waters in 1967. They are now also called golden rainbows here. Golden rainbows have since been raised and stocked across the United States and Canada.

This year, the PFBC will stock approximately 14,000 two-year-old golden rainbow trout, averaging 14 inches in length and weighing about 1.5 pounds each. Many smaller golden rainbows are also stocked by cooperative nurseries.

Pre-season stocking should be finished now on all 14 Centre County streams and two impoundments. The most recent stocking was planned for Pine and White Deer creeks on March 29. Stocking trucks were to visit Black Moshannon Creek on March 28.

If you are one of the anglers who thinks that all of the trout get caught by noon on opening day, the facts show otherwise. In most waters, plenty of trout remain well into May. Even so, in-season stocking begins in Centre County when Wolf Run and the South Fork of Beech Creek are stocked again on April 6.

Two sections of Black Moshannon Creek, Cold Stream Dam, a section of Penns Creek, Pine Creek and Six Mile Run are all scheduled to be restocked in early April. Most of the other county streams receive in-season stockings later in April or early May. Exact stocking dates, species stocked, as well as meeting places and times can be found at fishandboat.com. Anglers are welcome to watch the stocking or help carry trout to the stream.

Recent rains ensure that there will be plenty of water on the opening morning — hopefully not too much water. If your preferred stream happens to be high and brown, you might want to make Poe Lake or Cold Stream Dam your fishing destination. Mountain streams are less affected by high water than valley streams and will likely be more fishable. Even moving upstream on your stream of choice will make a difference.

While some anglers prefer to fish in higher, cloudy water, it makes reading the water difficult because you cannot determine the depth nor see structures under the surface. It also makes wading difficult and dangerous. Use extreme caution if wading in high, off-color water.

There is still time to get your fishing license and trout stamp before the opening day. Anglers ages 16 and older are required to possess both a fishing license and a trout permit. These are available at nearly 700 issuing agents across the state. You can also purchase licenses and permits online at fishandboat.com.

Anglers are no longer required to display their licenses, but they must be carried on your person. Beginning a few years ago, anglers have been allowed to just have a digital image of their license on their cell phone as proof of possession.