Questions About PA Fly Fishing Special Regulation Waters in March

[torji10]

So I've been really frustrated with PAFBC; it's been impossible for me to figure out online if it is legal to fly fish certain creeks this time of year (March, leading up to opening day). PA's own online documents make it unclear if you can still catch and release (my only intention) in March at year-round/catch and release fly fishing only/Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only waters. I was looking to try tulpehocken creek or little lehigh creek. TCO flyshop seemed to indicate that the tully was still open for business. I get that there is a little blackout date for fairness leading up to opening day, but does this apply to areas that have DHALO or fly fishing only catch and release? I will probably just not risk it and wait until opening day, but it was wild that I could not find an answer. I even called someone and they did not know but just said they would not risk it. Again, I would have no intention of trying to get an unfair edge and fish stocked areas before anyone else, but I know that Little Lehigh has a non-stocked/fly-fishing only area, and am still not sure if it would be legal to fish it this week. If anyone has any knowledge on these Pennsylvania rules, your expertise would be greatly appreciated. I am only a year in to fly fishing, so I am fairly new here.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

I agree that it's muddled but your answers may reside on pages 23-24 of the summary booklet. All the special regs areas described on page 24 offer year-round fishing. I believe this is limited to "stocked trout waters" so you may not be able to go blue-lining for wild fish.

https://www.fishandboat.com/Fishing/Regulations/Documents/2023SummaryBook.pdf#page=10

The link opens on page 10 but you can page through the whole thing.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

... also, the pages that follow 24 list special regs locations by county.

 

[Nympho]

The Little Lehigh fly fishing section is open to fishing year round.

 

[Fish Sticks]

Lol shutting down fishing in many trout streams statewide for 6 weeks to………

“improve fishing opportunity”

 

[torji10]

I agree that it's muddled but your answers may reside on pages 23-24 of the summary booklet. All the special regs areas described on page 24 offer year-round fishing. I believe this is limited to "stocked trout waters" so you may not be able to go blue-lining for wild fish.

https://www.fishandboat.com/Fishing/Regulations/Documents/2023SummaryBook.pdf#page=10

The link opens on page 10 but you can page through the whole thing.

Thank you, I will look through this more

 

[jgish92]

Can anyone tell me the difference between "Stocked Trout Water" and "Approved Trout Water" I've seen signs for both within the last couple days. I am assuming that both are off limits until opening day. I looked through the book and can't find an answer.

Also, I see the Lehigh is year round from the bottom of the Gorge down to Jim Thorpe, but how is the rest of the river classified?
Sorry to ask, but I haven't been able to find it in the book.

 

[Bamboozle]

So I've been really frustrated with PAFBC; it's been impossible for me to figure out online if it is legal to fly fish certain creeks this time of year (March, leading up to opening day)...

It's really not THAT hard to understand...

There is ZERO harvest permitted ANYWHERE on any stream until Opening Day unless you are a child fishing on Mentored Youth Day next weekend.​

​

You can legally fish year round on any Special Regulation Section. IF PERMITTED by those special regulations, you can NOT harvest until Opening Day or a Delayed Harvest Date.​

​

You CAN NOT FISH PERIOD in any "Stocked Trout Waters" SECTION listed in the Summary Booklet until Opening Day unless that Section is listed as "Stocked Trout Waters Open to Year Round Fishing."​

​

You CAN LEGALLY FISH without harvest in ANY stream section on ANY stream NOT listed in the Summary Booklet as "Stocked Trout Waters."​

​

ALL "Stocked Trout Waters" for ALL regions in the Summary are listed BY SECTION so as long as you are NOT fishing in the section listed, you are legal.​

Done...

In regards to this question:

Can anyone tell me the difference between "Stocked Trout Water" and "Approved Trout Water" I've seen signs for both within the last couple days. I am assuming that both are off limits until opening day. I looked through the book and can't find an answer.

Also, I see the Lehigh is year round from the bottom of the Gorge down to Jim Thorpe, but how is the rest of the river classified?
Sorry to ask, but I haven't been able to find it in the book.

There is NO difference, "Approved Trout Waters" was the OLD name for "Stocked Trout Waters." The PFBC just hasn't got around to updating all the signs.

 

[torji10]

It's really not THAT hard to understand...

There is ZERO harvest permitted ANYWHERE on any stream until Opening Day unless you are a child fishing on Mentored Youth Day next weekend.​

​

You can legally fish year round on any Special Regulation Section althogh IF permitted you can NOT harvest until permitted. After Opening Day or a Delayed Harvest Date you can harvest IF harvest is permitted in that Special Regulation section.​

​

You CAN NOT FISH PERIOD in any "Stocked Trout Waters" SECTION listed in the Summary Booklet until Opening Day unless that Section is listed as "Stocked Trout Waters Open to Year Round Fishing."​

​

You CAN LEGALLY FISH without harvest in ANY stream section on ANY stream NOT listed in the Summary Booklet as "Stocked Trout Waters."​

​

ALL "Stocked Trout Waters" for ALL regions in the Summary are listed BY SECTION so as long as you are NOT fishing in the section listed, you are legal.​

Done...

In regards to this question:



There is NO difference, "Approved Trout Waters" was the OLD name for "Stocked Trout Waters." The PFBC just hasn't go around to updated all the signs.

Thank you for clarifying!

 

[JeffP]

It's really not THAT hard to understand...

There is ZERO harvest permitted ANYWHERE on any stream until Opening Day unless you are a child fishing on Mentored Youth Day next weekend.​

​

You can legally fish year round on any Special Regulation Section. IF PERMITTED by those special regulations, you can NOT harvest until Opening Day or a Delayed Harvest Date.​

​

You CAN NOT FISH PERIOD in any "Stocked Trout Waters" SECTION listed in the Summary Booklet until Opening Day unless that Section is listed as "Stocked Trout Waters Open to Year Round Fishing."​

​

You CAN LEGALLY FISH without harvest in ANY stream section on ANY stream NOT listed in the Summary Booklet as "Stocked Trout Waters."​

​

ALL "Stocked Trout Waters" for ALL regions in the Summary are listed BY SECTION so as long as you are NOT fishing in the section listed, you are legal.​

Done...

In regards to this question:



There is NO difference, "Approved Trout Waters" was the OLD name for "Stocked Trout Waters." The PFBC just hasn't got around to updating all the signs.

So I could fish Middle Creek in Lancaster below Lime Rock Road despite the fact it is heavily stocked by the Lititz Sportsman's club and people line up opening day to fish it?

 

[pcray1231]

So I could fish Middle Creek in Lancaster below Lime Rock Road despite the fact it is heavily stocked by the Lititz Sportsman's club and people line up opening day to fish it?

Yes. There are multiple places in the state like that.

 

[Bamboozle]

So I could fish Middle Creek in Lancaster below Lime Rock Road despite the fact it is heavily stocked by the Lititz Sportsman's club and people line up opening day to fish it?

If the land ISN'T private property with restrictions placed by the landowner then the answer is yes.

However, expect to get hassled...

A lot of "sportsman's clubs" stock at the last minute to try their best to avoid this situation.

 

[JeffP]

So I could fish it on the downstream side of the bridge for PFC trout? I would gather that the sportsman's club probably doesn't stock until the night before. I was at the twin bridges with my dog the other day on Wissler Road and got screamed at for fishing. I'm sure the same thing would happen if I fished from Limerock down to the bridge on Middle Creek Road.

 

[JeffP]

If the land ISN'T private property with restrictions placed by the landowner then the answer is yes.

However, expect to get hassled...

A lot of "sportsman's clubs" stock at the last minute to try their best to avoid this situation.

Beat me to it!

 

[Bamboozle]

I remember back in the "olden days" when things weren't as clearly defined. Whenever I would fish a couple of particular Class A's, people used to give me a bag of $#!+ all the time for fishing during the Closed Period.

One time in particular a guy challenged me and I called the WCO right from the creek and handed him the phone to ask himself if it was OK to fish this creek on this day.

He was a bit embarrassed but thanked me for the education...

These days I avoid the hassle, at least on these Class A's because I don't want to draw anymore attention to them.

In the case of a few sections of streams NOT stocked by the PFBC but stocked by clubs, (two of which I am a member), I avoid them now just so folks don't get upset with me "poaching" THEIR fish.

 

[pcray1231]

Tionesta Creek is like that. Officially the lower end of the STW is Kelletville Bridge. So, below the bridge, it's ok to fish on a C&R basis during the closed season. But they stock from the bridge itself, heavily. Just below it is a very popular hole that will be shoulder to shoulder on opening day. At 7:30 you will see a line of guys, not fishing, waiting for the 8 a.m. gun. And 9 out of 10 of them will be releasing their catch anyway.

I'd imagine if you plopped in there right now you'd get threats, maybe attacked, and some would go to higher ground in order to get cell service and call the PFBC.

 

[salmonoid]

So I could fish it on the downstream side of the bridge for PFC trout? I would gather that the sportsman's club probably doesn't stock until the night before. I was at the twin bridges with my dog the other day on Wissler Road and got screamed at for fishing. I'm sure the same thing would happen if I fished from Limerock down to the bridge on Middle Creek Road.

Legally yes. But it wouldn't be worth it to fish it with anglers and general populace that doesn't understand the regulations who are going to harangue you for fishing. Plenty of other out of the way places to fish this time of year, although I encountered one angler directly already and evidence of a few more that may have been an hour or a day ahead of me, in my past six weeks of outings.

And even with what seems like a reasonable read of the regulations, you're still at the whim of a WCO or deputy in terms of how they might try to enforce them. You'd likely win in front of a district magistrate but again, not worth it, in my book, when there are other less visible places to fish.

 

[Fish Sticks]

Legally yes. But it wouldn't be worth it to fish it with anglers and general populace that doesn't understand the regulations who are going to harangue you for fishing. Plenty of other out of the way places to fish this time of year, although I encountered one angler directly already and evidence of a few more that may have been an hour or a day ahead of me, in my past six weeks of outings.

And even with what seems like a reasonable read of the regulations, you're still at the whim of a WCO or deputy in terms of how they might try to enforce them. You'd likely win in front of a district magistrate but again, not worth it, in my book, when there are other less visible places to fish.

I don’t know what Harangue means but I wish some one would go do that to the fish chuckers stocking the streams draining the ANF and those slate run brown trout club folks trading wild native brook trout strong holds for more money coming into the general store.

Googling Harangued now

 

[jgish92]

Here we go again..........
while you're at it, google "beating a dead horse" and "broken record"

 

[Mike]

So I could fish it on the downstream side of the bridge for PFC trout? I would gather that the sportsman's club probably doesn't stock until the night before. I was at the twin bridges with my dog the other day on Wissler Road and got screamed at for fishing. I'm sure the same thing would happen if I fished from Limerock down to the bridge on Middle Creek Road.

I wouldn’t be closer than 25 ft to the downstream side of a bridge designated as the lower limit of a STW. See below info taken from the Summary Booklet.

These waters are closed to all fishing (includ- ing taking of minnows) from February 20 to 8 a.m. on the opening day of the trout season. A person shall be deemed to be fishing if he or she has in possession any fishing line, rod, or other device that can be used for fishing while on or in any water or on the banks within 25 feet of any water where fishing is prohibited. Unless geographically designated in the Re- gion Regulated Trout Waters section, the term stocked trout waters includes the entire stream from headwaters to mouth.