Dingmans Ferry

[Seafood]

Curious as to what the regulations are to fishing in and around the Dingmans Ferry area. On the PA side there are lots of waterfalls and waterways. I know its gets hit pretty hard by the tourist’s checking out all of the falls but are there restrictions to fishing in those areas?

Thanks.

 

[Bamboozle]

The Delaware at Dingman's has no special regs that I am aware of. It is not Approved Trout water either. It is subject to the existing creel limits and closed seasons for the species that inhabit the river but if you don't harvest you will not be breaking the law even if trout season is closed since it is NOT Approved Trout water. The only section of the Delaware in PA that has any special regs is the West Branch.

It is part of the Delaware Water Gap National Park so you may want to double check with them.

 

[Stone_Fly]

Dingmans Creek has a - Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only - 1.5 miles; From the base of Deer Leap Falls downstream to Dingmans Falls. Toms Creek is managed as C & R. Both are brown trout streams that also support some brookies.

 

[Seafood]

Stonefly,

what about Dingmans Creek BELOW Dingmans Falls? Any regs for that section?

 

[Bamboozle]

Sea:

I misunderstood your original request, sorry.

Dingman's Creek has no special regs below the Falls. It isn't Approved Trout water either so basically the whole creek is open all year long with creel limits in place outside of the C&R section.

While Dingman's isn't Class A, there are wild trout present.

 

[troutbert]

But, if I understand PA's regs correctly, harvesting trout would not be permitted at this time of year from Dingmans Falls to the mouth. Since it is not stocked there, there is no extended season. You could only fish it on a C&R release basis.

 

[spectorfly]

That's a place I always wated to fish ever since I saw a picture of Dingman falls on a calander 2 years ago.

 

[JackM]

troutbert wrote:
But, if I understand PA's regs correctly, harvesting trout would not be permitted at this time of year from Dingmans Falls to the mouth. Since it is not stocked there, there is no extended season. You could only fish it on a C&R release basis.

The issue of the ability to harvest during the extended season does not turn on whether the section of creek from which the trout is caught is stocked, but, rather, whether it is an Approved Trout Water or "waters downstream of approved trout waters."



58 Pa. Code § 65.26. Extended trout seasons.
(a) General rule. The extended trout season is in effect from the day after Labor Day until the last day of February of the following year on approved trout waters and all waters downstream of approved trout waters. A creel limit of three trout per day and a minimum size limit of 7 inches applies during this season.



Since I don't know the creek/watershed you are discussing, I am not sure if this is applicable.

 

[Seafood]

Quote:

The issue of the ability to harvest during the extended season does not turn on whether the section of creek from which the trout is caught is stocked, but, rather, whether it is an Approved Trout Water or "waters downstream of approved trout waters."


Wow...I feel dumber now than I did 2 minutes ago. I thought I had a fairly decent grasp on the english language until reading this reply. I thought I was reading Old King's English for a minute.

I dont kill trout so all I wanted to know was if I could fish there. I think (but now am not sure) if I can fish below the falls. Oh, well..I guess I will just give it ashot and see if the Fish Man comes after me.

 

[Maurice]

JackM wrote:

troutbert wrote:
But, if I understand PA's regs correctly, harvesting trout would not be permitted at this time of year from Dingmans Falls to the mouth. Since it is not stocked there, there is no extended season. You could only fish it on a C&R release basis.

The issue of the ability to harvest during the extended season does not turn on whether the section of creek from which the trout is caught is stocked, but, rather, whether it is an Approved Trout Water or "waters downstream of approved trout waters."



58 Pa. Code § 65.26. Extended trout seasons.
(a) General rule. The extended trout season is in effect from the day after Labor Day until the last day of February of the following year on approved trout waters and all waters downstream of approved trout waters. A creel limit of three trout per day and a minimum size limit of 7 inches applies during this season.



Since I don't know the creek/watershed you are discussing, I am not sure if this is applicable.

Jack,

I see what it says and can appreciate your thoroughness of the issue but my understanding is...and I could be wrong...that stocked streams are approved trout waters. When they are taken off the stocking list, they are taken off the approved trout water list. I do not believe that wilderness trout streams or sections of streams that are Class A (unstocked) are on the ATW list unless a section above or below the unstocked stretch is stocked. Whereas, this exception would be subject to the terms you mention above.


Bottom line is...if ya don't kill'em you can fish most any place any day except from Mar 1-opening day on APW's....and their downstream sections.

Maurice

 

[Seafood]

I just googled my original question and this came up. I guess I wont be fishing there....legally at least.



Regulations and Closures


All waters within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area are open to sport fishing unless otherwise posted. See state information for Special Regulation Waters.


The appropriate state license is required in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for those 16 and older. Regulations are enforced. A holder of either state license can fish on the Delaware River or either of its banks. This agreement does NOT apply to the tributaries leading to the river.



Fishing is NOT permitted:


George W. Childs Recreation Site: at footbridges and boardwalk platforms.

Dingmans Falls: from the top of the falls to the east end of the parking lot from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Silver Thread Falls: the pool at base.

Hidden Lake: during special regulations and water drawdown


Special park regulations apply to Dingmans Creek near the boardwalk trail; check with a ranger before fishing in this area.

 

[Bamboozle]

Seafood:

The Dingmans Falls reference is by the Falls, NOT the rest of the creek. The PAFB still has jurisdiction over the C & R as well as the overall stream despite its location in the DWGNP. When in doudt, ask a ranger, IF you ever see one. If you have a PA license you can fish Dingman's below the Falls parking area.

In regards to Maurice's comments on Class A and ATW:

I do not believe that wilderness trout streams or sections of streams that are Class A (unstocked) are on the ATW list unless a section above or below the unstocked stretch is stocked. Whereas, this exception would be subject to the terms you mention above.

Man do I love this issue as I investigated it to death since I fish mainly Class A, BTEP, and Wilderness.

Approved Trout waters include the entire BOW even when there may be Class A sections along the total length of the stream. When the Approved Trout section is closed, the Class A Section is closed.

When a stream is NOT on the Approved Trout list, (see Dingmans’ Creek) it is NEVER closed to fishing anywhere along its length. Even though the C & R section is stocked, that stocking DOES NOT make Dingmans’ an Approved Trout stream since there is no harvest on the stocked section and it is managed as a Special Regulation area. The operative word here is harvest.

Class A streams that are NOT sections of Approved Trout waters are also open to fishing all year with harvest restrictions during the closed season. The upstream/downstream tributaries/extended season gobbledygook in the Regulation Summary doesn't apply to Class A streams. The operative word here is Class A; if the tributary is Class A, you are fine fishing it all year long. Wilderness Streams are a whole other issue. The Wilderness designation is not a special regulation but more of a geographical description. Some Wilderness streams are Class A, some are Class B or C so you need to know what its biomass classification is; whether or not ANY part of it is part of an Approved Trout water, and IF it is NOT Class A and it IS a tributary to an Approved Trout stream; whether it is upstream or downstream of the stocked section.

Does your brain hurt yet?

Like the Maurice said, if you don’t harvest you are fine fishing in most places except Approved Trout streams during the closed periods. Those are the only streams that actually CLOSE to fishing at any time during the year.

Dingmans’ below the falls, despite the stocking above in the C & R is NOT on the Approved list so you can fish it now, next week, next year, and even from March 1 to Opening Day just don’t have any fish in your possession.

If I’m wrong I’ll pay your fine…really!

 

[JackM]

My reply with regulations was attached to troutbert's post. What I was pointing out is that it does not matter whether fish are stocked in a particular section, nor that such section is designated an approved trout water-- as long as the section in issue is downstream of an approved trout water, it is open to limited harvest (3/day) during the extended season, according to the regulation cited. It may be the case, in fact, that there is no Class A, non-stocked creek section that is downstream of an ATW, but if there is one, you may legally harvest 3/day in the extended season. This I said and nothing more, nor less.

But now, I'll say more. The language of the regulation is broad enough to allow extended season harvest rules to apply thusly:

1. Tributary A is an ATW.
2. Creek B is not an ATW, is not stocked and holds wild trout.
3. Under the regulations, the extended season rules apply to Creek B downstream of the confluence with tributary A.

I will not pay your fine, however, for harvesting there, should you be the victim of an erroneous interpretation of the regulation by a WCO or District Judge.

 

[troutbert]

Seafood,

I'm glad you're fishing C&R on these little streams. Your name had me worried a little bit.

I agree with Maurice that you can fish the creek on a C&R basis. I've fished this stream. There are wild trout in the lower end, from the river up to the closed section near Dingmans and Silverthread Falls. There is another closed section around the other falls, up in Childs Park. Near the falls there are often loads of sightseers, so they probably prohibit fishing just to prevent fisherman from "putting somebody's eye out" as the famous Christmas Story line goes.

In between the falls areas, there is a delayed harvest area and it's a pretty nice section of stream. There were lots of stockies in this section when I was there.

If you go there, do not fail to go see the falls. They are really beautiful. I recommend going to see ALL the falls. Dingmans and Silverthread at the lower end, near the visitors center. And there's another 3 or 4 of them up at Childs Park. Fantastic.

And if you have time to fish, too, that's a bonus.

 

[Stone_Fly]

I believe it is open to fishing on a C & R Basis, as long as you release the fish immediately you should be ok. Dingmans Creek suffered from extensive flood damage over the last 2 years, while I'm sure the trout survived but the damage is unbelievable, banks cut down, trees all over the place, lots of woody debris, and at the new bridge the banks were cut so bad that they actually installed rip rap along the banks above the bridge. Initially there was a small island there with a big pile of rock debris in the center of the channel, and while I don’t like to see bulldozers in the streams of our state, I think the protection of the bridge demanded that they remove the island and channelized a short stretch of the streambed above the bridge. It is the only road along the river for 20 + miles.

In their infinite wisdom, PFBC "TABLED" the simplification of trout regulations. Now they've made it even more complicated with the addition of a SE opening day.
Here's is what I think they should be;
Approved Trout Water are those waters that are stocked from the period of March 1 of that year until June 1. Fishing from Opening day 5 fish limit until Labor day, then the extended season begins with a limit of 3 fish a day.
All other trout streams 2 fish a day from opening day until Labor Day except those streams with Special Regulations. Labor Day until opening day fishing for trout is legal on unstocked waters but only under C & R regulations.
I challenge PFBC to untable the discussion of the Simplification of Trout Regulations and just do it!
Of course the regulations aren't simply and the way they are written makes figuring out what they are supposed to mean difficult at best.

 

[Stone_Fly]

See my comments above.