#PA TROUT STOCKING LICENSE#
All revenues earned from a voluntary youth fishing license are dedicated to youth fishing programs.Ģ019 Adult Trout Stocking Program ChangesĮach year, the PFBC adjusts its adult trout stocking program based on several factors. 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. Both are available at or at any of the more than 700 licensing agents across the state.įor every voluntary youth license sold, the PFBC receives approximately $5 in federal revenue from the U.S.
#PA TROUT STOCKING FREE#
Youth anglers must obtain a free PFBC-issued permit, or a voluntary youth fishing license (only $2.90 including all fees). 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. The following weekend – Saturday, March 30 – kicks off the Regional Opening Day of Trout Season in the same 18 southeastern counties.Ī second Mentored Youth Trout Fishing Day will be held on April 6, the Saturday before the April 13 regular statewide opening day of trout season. The 2019 season will open Saturday, March 23 with the Mentored Youth Trout Fishing 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 trout will be stocked at a rate of 175 to 225 per mile of stream, which is comparable to the numbers of similarly sized fish in Pennsylvania’s best wild trout waters. Under the program, approximately 6,500 large trout will be distributed among the streams. Once again included in this year’s stocking lists are the Keystone Select Stocked Trout Waters, a program where sections of 21 streams across the state are stocked with large 14” – 20” trout. In addition to trout raised at state fish hatcheries, PFBC cooperative nurseries operated by sportsmen’s clubs across the state will add another 1 million trout to waters open to public angling. As we grow these trout from eggs to adults, we not only aim to produce the quantity that anglers expect, but we take great pride in stocking high quality fish.”
“We know how important opening days are to Pennsylvanians, especially for families who will be making lifelong memories. “Our hatcheries are bustling with activity every day of the year, but especially in those last few weeks leading up to trout season,” said Brian Wisner, Director of the PFBC Bureau of Hatcheries. In 2019, the number of trout that will be stocked remains consistent with previous years over the past decade. Thousands of trophy size brood trout are also stocked throughout PA waters. The PFBC also plans to stock about 9,600 trophy golden rainbow trout that weigh an average of 1.5 pounds and measure at least 14 inches long. As with past practice, the average size of the trout produced for stocking is 11 inches in length.
These figures include approximately 2.1 million rainbow trout 640,000 brown trout and 440,000 brook trout. The PFBC continues to stock approximately 3.2 million adult trout in 707 streams and 127 lakes open to public angling.
#PA TROUT STOCKING FOR FREE#
Then press “Go.”įor anglers with smartphones, view the schedules through the FishBoatPA app, which is available for free from the Apple App and Google Play stores. From there, select a county and enter start and end dates from the calendars at the top of the page. To view the list, go to click on the link “Fish” in the upper right corner, then select Stocking Schedules. – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) announced today that the 2019 adult trout stocking schedules are now available online and on the PFBC’s “FishBoatPA” mobile app.Īnglers can easily search the trout stocking schedules for locations and dates of interest.