The PFBC has access to some resources if it chooses to use them. It would and should simply reallocate trout stocked in documented low use stream sections and lakes to higher use waters and new waters where anticipated high could reasonably be expected. “New waters” could be never before stocked waters or extensions of section limits on existing stocked streams, or could more closely fit the subject of this thread. The staff has a decades long list of opening day angler use counts conducted statewide expressed for stream sections as number of anglers per mile from which to work. There are also angler counts from a number of stocked lakes.
As an example of how this could be done, stream sections with opening day counts lower than some percentile, say as a minimum the 10 th percentile of opening day usage, would be removed from the stocking program and their trout reallocated to higher use or anticipated higher use new waters. Angler use was so bad on a very few stream sections that no anglers were present at 8 AM on opening day, so those waters would be the obvious starting point for removal from the stocking program and reallocation of their trout.
Additionally, two very experienced staff (decades) used to have a friendly debate following years of angler count experience regarding how many stocked trout should be stocked in a stream section per opening day angler counted. The answers were 10 - 15 per angler, so 12.5 seemed like it would be a good compromise, bearing in mind some losses that occur prior to opening day on many streams due to natural mortality and movement. Such rules-of-thumb could provide insight into whether a water body, lake or stream, is being overstocked (another possible reallocation opportunity) or understocked ( an opportunity to receive more fish).