[Question] legal fishing dates

[nepatitan]

I've been looking over the pfbc website. I'd like to go to a lake (hidden lake) around my area to just practice. I found this page pfbc
it seems as long as I'm not fishing for trout I can fish all year round?
I just want to double check because I was kind of confused.

Thanks

 

[Dave_W]

Titan,
Unfortunately, PA trout fishing regulations are complicated.

I'm not familiar with that body of water, however, if it is stocked with trout by the state (PFBC) it is almost certainly closed to fishing until trout season starts. This means no fishing at all - don't even go near it with a fishing rod. Perhaps someone familiar with that part of the state can tell you more about this lake.

Look for places that are not stocked with trout for the next six weeks.

 

[nepatitan]

Thanks so much. It is very confusing lol.
I'd love to just get some practice, I'm pretty sure the Delaware isn't stocked up here.

 

[JerryC]

Just checked out the lake on Google. Looks like they stock rainbow trout in it. So it would be off limits to fishing until trout season opens. There any number of lakes in that area that you could practice on. Peck Pond, Sohola, Brady's Lake. Just google some of the other lakes in your area and see if they stock them with trout. Now would be a prime time for chain pickerel or muskie. They don't stock the Delaware, but it can be tough fishing this time of year. This time next month, shad, herring and stripers will be making their run up the river.

 

[nepatitan]

Should I look on the state website or just use google maps, get the name of the body of water and search it?

 

[troutbert]

http://pfbc.pa.gov/fishpub/summaryad/troutwaters.html

Also, pick up the regulations booklet for free at Walmart. In some ways it's easier to use than the internet.

The stocked waters are listed by county. The general rule is that if it's stocked, you cannot fish it between March 1 and opening day.

There are a few exceptions to that, also listed in the regs booklet.

 

[Gone4Day]

Hidden Lake in Monroe county is a stocked trout water open to year round fishing. Don’t even need a trout stamp if you release any you might catch. Of course, if you have a trout stamp, its closed to harvest now until opening day. But you can still C&R.

 

[nepatitan]

awesome thanks so much.

 

[jifigz]

Yeah there are quite a few lakes that are exceptions and are open to fishing year round. Thank goodness too or else they would be taking away a lot of opportunities for so many great species.

 

[klingy]

Gone4Day wrote:
Don’t even need a trout stamp if you release any you might catch.

Is there a special regulation on this lake as far as not needing a license? If not, then you need one regardless of keeping fish or not.

I know the discussion of whether you need a license to fish unstocked /unlisted water has come up on here before (which you do), but I'm pretty sure that you without-a-doubt need a license on any stocked water. Just don't want to see you get in any trouble.

 

[Gone4Day]

klingy wrote:

Gone4Day wrote:
Don’t even need a trout stamp if you release any you might catch.

Is there a special regulation on this lake as far as not needing a license? If not, then you need one regardless of keeping fish or not.

I know the discussion of whether you need a license to fish unstocked /unlisted water has come up on here before (which you do), but I'm pretty sure that you without-a-doubt need a license on any stocked water. Just don't want to see you get in any trouble.

From the PFBC website:

A trout/salmon permit is not required to fish in lakes and ponds that have been designated as stocked trout waters open to year-round fishing unless the person takes, kills, or possesses, while in the act of fishing, a trout or salmon on or in these waters

http://pfbc.pa.gov/fishpub/summaryad/yearround.html

 

[albatross]

True, you don't need a trout/salmon permit, but you do need a fishing license. The trout/salmon permit is an add-on to your license.

 

[nepatitan]

Thanks for the answers guys.
Hidden lake is quite nice during the off season.
A few areas with plenty of room to practice my casting.

 

[klingy]

Yeah, my bad. I was thinking fishing without a license, but you obviously said trout stamp. Good God I need to go fishing. My brain is shot!

 

[hooker-of-men]

I will also confirm that Hidden Lake is special regs / open to year round fishing, but no harvest from March 1 to opening day.

Hidden Lake is a weird *** place to get trout stocked. It's all pretty shallow, and the water temps, without exaggeration, get into the 80s pretty early in the summer. I've been bass fishing there (which, it holds some nice sized bass and pickerel, if you can battle through the weeds) and seen bloated trout floating around in the bathtub warm water. To me, the fall stocking actually makes more sense than the spring stocking, since it's easily accessible for ice fishing. Too bad we don't get ice anymore.

Also, since it was mentioned above, it's worth noting that Peck's Pond is essentially nonexistent right now. It was drained down in the summer/fall for dam repairs. Last I was up there, it was severely lacking in water.

 

[hooker-of-men]

Also, nepatitan, are you familiar with Zacharias Pond Park? No trout, but it's got panfish and bass. The one side is wide open field, so it would be great for practicing casting.