Sorta new to area and desperately seeking trout...

[EcoDog]

Been traveling to PA for decades for family and such, but now retired to Delaware only to discover there are virtually NO trout in this state. I would like to start exploring PA more.

Not a kid anymore, so back country is out, but still need a fix.

HELP...

Thanks in advance,

 

[tomgamber]

Here is a list of recently or soon to be stocked water. Look for a county close to you. Most of these usually have easy access. Good luck!

https://www.fishandboat.com/Fish/Stocking/Documents/FallStockingSchedule-2021.pdf

there is also a current thread in the general forum discussing fall stocking I think...

 

[afishinado]

EcoDog wrote:
Been traveling to PA for decades for family and such, but now retired to Delaware only to discover there are virtually NO trout in this state. I would like to start exploring PA more.

Not a kid anymore, so back country is out, but still need a fix.

HELP...

Thanks in advance,

Welcome to PAFF.

The best tool for exploring trout fishing in PA is the Trout Stream Map provided by the PFBC.

It lists nearly every trout stream wild and/or stocked and also lists all the special reg streams in PA. Simply zoom in on the area you wish to explore and click on the type of trout fishing you prefer. Good luck.

 

[EcoDog]

Thanks Tom,

I'll put that info in my todo list. I'm not a fan of stockers, but I'll happily take what I can get...

D

 

[EcoDog]

Thanks for the great PFBC resource.

D

 

[Mike]

Eastern York and Southern Lancaster Counties are your best bet for closer to home wild trout fisheries.

 

[sarce]

Are you in the northern part of DE? If so consider heading west and exploring Cecil and Harford counties in MD. If you're farther south PA is probably more worth the long drive.

 

[lestrout]

Yo Eco

Welcome to the area. You can tap into Trout Unlimited: there's a chapter in Wilmington, and Valley Forge in Chester County, Donegal in Lancaster, and Delco-Manning in Delaware County, all with active wild trout fans. White Clay Creek has a club as well.

 

[salmo]

Send me a PM and perhaps we can share some info. Also not a kid anymore.

 

[troutbert]

There is good fishing for sea trout and bluefish out of Lewes, DE
in the Delaware Bay.

Trout streams don't do well in heavily populated areas.

From where you live, good trout fishing is a pretty long drive away.

 

[BrookieChaser]

troutbert wrote:
There is good fishing for sea trout and bluefish out of Lewes, DE
in the Delaware Bay.

Not really, and especially not with a fly rod.

That fishery, like most saltwater fisheries, is a shell of its former self. The sea trout spawning grounds off the point were picked clean by commercial fishermen about 15 years ago now. The sea trout population never recovered.
You might get a few small blues, and I mean small, back in the creek but you're better off down in the IRI for them.
Even the striper migration seems to be skipping DE in general and favoring the Chesapeake.

If I was fly fishing that area inshore I'd concentrate on flounder, fluke, and small resident stripers near structure. Croakers can be fun on the Henlopen flat.

 

[EcoDog]

lestrout wrote:
Yo Eco

Welcome to the area. You can tap into Trout Unlimited: there's a chapter in Wilmington, and Valley Forge in Chester County, Donegal in Lancaster, and Delco-Manning in Delaware County, all with active wild trout fans. White Clay Creek has a club as well.

Thanks for info. I've been a member of TU for years and will definitely check out the local chapters soon.

D

 

[EcoDog]

BrookieChaser wrote:

troutbert wrote:
There is good fishing for sea trout and bluefish out of Lewes, DE
in the Delaware Bay.

Not really, and especially not with a fly rod.

That fishery, like most saltwater fisheries, is a shell of its former self. The sea trout spawning grounds off the point were picked clean by commercial fishermen about 15 years ago now. The sea trout population never recovered.
You might get a few small blues, and I mean small, back in the creek but you're better off down in the IRI for them.
Even the striper migration seems to be skipping DE in general and favoring the Chesapeake.

If I was fly fishing that area inshore I'd concentrate on flounder, fluke, and small resident stripers near structure. Croakers can be fun on the Henlopen flat.

Spent a bit of time throwing crab flys on the other coast for surf perch, but not seeing that option here. My neighbor is a captain on a sportfisher out of Lewes, but he's not very optimistic about throwing flies near here.

 

[troutbert]

I was just thinking of enjoyable fishing nearby, not fly fishing particularly.

I also had really fun fishing for panfish in the Pocomoke River. I'm not sure how far that is from you.

There probably are a lot of places with good panfish fishing in the region.

 

[EcoDog]

troutbert wrote:
I was just thinking of enjoyable fishing nearby, not fly fishing particularly.

I also had really fun fishing for panfish in the Pocomoke River. I'm not sure how far that is from you.

There probably are a lot of places with good panfish fishing in the region.

Yep, plenty of panfish and bass here. I'm down in Slower Lower DE. I've got a coup[le of boxes of panfish poppers and topwater bass flies, but not in the frame of mind to get a boat to do it right. I have a couple of Outcast pontoons, which I love.

D

 

[Mike]

The striper migration doesn’t skip the Delaware in the state of Delaware, but angler timing and location may be off. That’s also true for Pa where the apparent highest concentrations are not always at the same sampling areas from year to year or sometimes day to day. 2021 was a good example in Pa. They showed up in high numbers at a location where that occurs only every few years and those high number locations can be up to 10 or more miles apart from year to year.

 

[pcray1231]

Lower Slower DE. Love it. lol. Haven't heard that in a while.

Will say kayaking is an easy way to explore the canals and slow rivers of that area without going all out on a boat. Was out myself in Lewes once this summer, picked up some croaker, oyster fish, and a big ray in Roosevelt inlet, paddled around the Delaware Bay a bit. Was a good time.

The PFBC maps are excellent for PA trout. Stocked, wild, have at it.

 

[EcoDog]

pcray1231 wrote:
Lower Slower DE. Love it. lol. Haven't heard that in a while.

Will say kayaking is an easy way to explore the canals and slow rivers of that area without going all out on a boat. Was out myself in Lewes once this summer, picked up some croaker, oyster fish, and a big ray in Roosevelt inlet, paddled around the Delaware Bay a bit. Was a good time.

The PFBC maps are excellent for PA trout. Stocked, wild, have at it.

Have only lived here a couple of years, but adopting the Slower Lower ethos keeps a smile on your face. I'm only 5 minutes to the Roosevelt Inlet, so looks like low hanging fruit...

D

 

[EcoDog]

sarce wrote:
Are you in the northern part of DE? If so consider heading west and exploring Cecil and Harford counties in MD. If you're farther south PA is probably more worth the long drive.

Down in Slower Lower DE, but definitely not averse to a drive for trout. Thanks for the tips...

D

 

[pcray1231]

Have only lived here a couple of years, but adopting the Slower Lower ethos keeps a smile on your face. I'm only 5 minutes to the Roosevelt Inlet, so looks like low hanging fruit...

Might have to meet up if/when I get down there again. I put in right by the inlet there, just to the north there's a boat launch. Just beware of tide. I could paddle against it and make headway but it'd be tiring if you got too far away at the wrong time...