Why doesn't PA Fish Commission stock marginal streams in the late fall?

We have a stream stocked before the April opener then once in season by June all are dead and the stream is void of most natural foods then by the fall minnows are back in high numbers for the fall stocking and those minnows quickly dissappear come winter I don't think there's enough food to sustain a population of trout just my 2 cents
 
troutbert said:

Why doesn't PA Fish Commission stock marginal streams in the late fall?​

Because the great majority of those trout would die over winter.

The survival of hatchery trout over winter in freestone streams is extremely low.

Their survival in limestone streams is higher, but most of those are wild trout streams.
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Really? Not doubting you, but why would a stocked trout die in the winter? Never saw any science that said trout can't survive in the winter. But if they don't then that answers my question and kind of makes me feel better. I just assumed trout could survive in cold water.
 
Cougarbaby said:
We have a stream stocked before the April opener then once in season by June all are dead and the stream is void of most natural foods then by the fall minnows are back in high numbers for the fall stocking and those minnows quickly dissappear come winter I don't think there's enough food to sustain a population of trout just my 2 cents
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Yeah that makes sense. I guess a stream really needs macroinvertabrets to support year round trout population. I was looking solely from a water temp perspective, but forgot that trout need insects to survive.
 
lycoflyfisher said:
I would be shocked if any stream in Pa got pounded in the last 10 days or so, including Spring Creek🤪

I would guess it mostly would have to do with diminishing return on the investment to raise and stock those fish. I would venture outsode of a select few examples, many of the fall stocked streams see relatively little angling use Dec to Feb.
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There are a lot of winter trout anglers in PA, especially the younger generation is into it alot. I think because of the improvements in gear the industry has produced. Its way easier to keep warm and get a good day of fishing in these days compared to the hip waders and mitten days of old.

But good point on the diminishing return. That makes sense.
 
jifigz said:
What species of fish were you targeting?
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Anything that would bite an egg pattern lol! Was just mostly hiking but really wondered why there are no trout because the water temps were perfect and it would seem they could flourish this time of year compared to late May when the temp reaches that dreaded 70 degree fatality mark.
 
I think what you’re trying to say is why isn’t Pa set up like West Virginia. Most stocked trout in Pa will die in the summer / coldest winter months. IMO I think the trout season in pa should start in early March instead of April due to the high temps in may. Stocking could be spread out an extra week for the 3 spring stockings. Also it’s funny how every thread has someone making a comment about how they don’t fish for stockies. Pa has 13 million people and one of the biggest fly angler populations in the country. Having that pressure spread out during the spring on marginal waters helps wild trout streams IMO. Looking forward to visit home this may and catch some stockie brownies on sulphurs while the run off where I am gets started.
 
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PaScoGi said:
Yeah that makes sense. I guess a stream really needs macroinvertabrets to support year round trout population. I was looking solely from a water temp perspective, but forgot that trout need insects to survive.
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On a lot of streams the predators would take a large toll over a 6 month period.
 
Jessed said:
I think what you’re trying to say is why isn’t Pa set up like West Virginia. Most stocked trout in Pa will die in the summer / coldest winter months. IMO I think the trout season in pa should start in early March instead of April due to the high temps in may. Stocking could be spread out an extra week for the 3 spring stockings. Also it’s funny how every thread has someone making a comment about how they don’t fish for stockies. Pa has 13 million people and one of the biggest fly angler populations in the country. Having that pressure spread out during the spring on marginal waters helps wild trout streams IMO. Looking forward to visit home this may and catch some stockie brownies on sulphurs while the run off where I am gets started.
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I have heard from various Fish Commission people that opening trout season earlier in March would make pre- season stocking very difficult in the northern parts of the state. I know I have been part of stocking in SE Pa. where it had to br postponed in mid March due to cold temps.
 
greywolf said:
I have heard from various Fish Commission people that opening trout season earlier in March would make pre- season stocking very difficult in the northern parts of the state. I know I have been part of stocking in SE Pa. where it had to br postponed in mid March due to cold temps.
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I kinda meant like do away with opening day and have it like WV. When they stock they stock, buy your 2025 fishing license and fish away.
 
Jessed said:
I kinda meant like do away with opening day and have it like WV. When they stock they stock, buy your 2025 fishing license and fish away.
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when I was in MA years ago (30ish) there was no opening day. No published stocking schedules. It was understood (maybe published) they would stock fish across the state within a range. This prevented opening day circus or stocking truck hunting. Trout reminded in streams longer and there appeared to have more holdover fish. I fully understand the cultural aspects of opening day here in PA and NJ (where I started fishing) though.
MA used to stock fewer, but larger fish was my recollection. More like 12- and 14- inches. but, that was 30 years ago
 
greywolf said:
I have heard from various Fish Commission people that opening trout season earlier in March would make pre- season stocking very difficult in the northern parts of the state. I know I have been part of stocking in SE Pa. where it had to br postponed in mid March due to cold temps.
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How does NY pull-off an April 1 Opening Day since Giovanni da Verrazzano sailed up the Hudson...?

Maybe if PA shut down harvest in the Extended Season like NY, there would be enough leftover fish to at least minimize problems with pre-season stockings that don't happen on schedule.

As for me, I like PA's publicized stocking schedules...

I fish one or two very local STW's on occasion. After unknowingly showing up on a stocking day and leaving because of the circus, I now use the schedules to AVOID stocking days, weeks and usually the first weeks after they stock.
 
troutbert said:
It's April 5 this year in PA.

Which is about 2 weeks earlier than it used to be. It used to be around the middle of April, rather than early April.
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As far back as I can remember it has been the 2nd Saturday in April for the majority of the state until they changed it within the last couple years and did away with the early sepa start.
 
I think they used to do this, however the angler use was extremely low. Big pine creek was stocked in the fall for a few years at one point. 2009ish if I remember correctly. There just were so few fisherman. 3 a day 9 inches or something like that was the harvest regs I think. We used to swing by and get a couple rainbows for over the campfire on our way to go backpacking and small stream trout fishing each fall. I liked it and wish they still did the fall stockings in general regs approved trout waters like they used to. I had several wild trout addicted friends that didn’t fish for stocked trout at all except for a month or two after those fall stockings. They really liked the lack of crowds of people.

~ 5footfenwick
 
troutbert said:
It's April 5 this year in PA.

Which is about 2 weeks earlier than it used to be. It used to be around the middle of April, rather than early April.
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There was a time when Opening Day was regularly the 2nd Saturday in April, then it became the first Saturday after April 11th and then in 2007 they created and later abolished the earlier Regional Opening Day.

Now it is the first Saturday in April. FWIW - It WAS April 1st in 2023.

However a few years during the Regional Opening Day years (2007 - 2022) the Regional Opening Day was in March. For example in 2008 & 2014 it was March 29th.
 
Bamboozle said:
in 2007 they created and later abolished the earlier Regional Opening Day.
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I disliked this. If you lived in a border county like I did, pressure was out of control in Juniata County, which opened a week earlier, and then pressure was also amped up in Mifflin County, which opened the following week or two after. I think that helped concentrate people. Not good.
 
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