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That’s why we’re teaming up with state agencies, local conservation authorities and outdoor enthusiasts to bring you expert advice, tips and so much more to help you enjoy NEPA’s great outdoors.
Trout Stocking Activity Means Spring is on the Way
After one of the coldest winters in recent memory across Pennsylvania, it’s nice to see some sure signs of spring. For anglers anxious to put the snow and ice behind them, the sight of a trout stocking truck on the highway is sure to get their hearts pumping.
For the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), the build-up to spring starts in mid-February
That’s when our Waterways Conservation Officers (WCO) and hatchery staff embark on the annual venture of stocking approximately 3.2 million adult trout in hundreds of streams and lakes statewide. The effort is part of the preparation for the much-anticipated Opening Day of Trout Season on the first Saturday in April and the weeks of enjoyment that will follow.
If you’ve ever volunteered to help us stock trout, one thing that is for sure is that each stocking is different
On the first stocking trip I accompanied this season on the Quittapahilla Creek (or “Quittie”) in Lebanon County, staff and volunteers could see their own breath in the air as they were greeted with frigid 23-degree temperatures and a slight but noticeable breeze. As we unloaded the truck, bucket-by-bucket, some of us had to avoid slipping on icy patches as we hiked along the frozen streambank before tossing the trout into the middle of the stream. In addition to individuals making single-bucket trips to spread out the trout, other volunteers formed a human chain from the truck to the streambank where members of the Doc Fritchey Chapter of Trout Unlimited were waiting, in waders, with a large container in the water they’d use to slowly “float stock” about a mile of the creek downstream.
While the conditions weren’t ideal for the volunteers, the cold water-loving Rainbow, Brown, and golden Rainbow Trout that had made the journey from the PFBC’s Pleasant Gap State Fish Hatchery (SFH) to the Quittie that day seemed to acclimate beautifully to the crystal clear stream.
On a different stocking trip one week later, and about 105 miles north, conditions couldn’t have been more different
In this case, there wasn’t much heavy lifting for volunteers when the crew from the Benner Spring SFH arrived with two truckloads full of trout to be stocked into Frances Slocum Lake in Luzerne County.
Upon arrival at the lake, located within the beautiful Frances Slocum State Park, air temperatures were milder in the upper 40’s, but it was hardly a spring scene. WCO Ty Moon, who would be leading this afternoon’s stocking, smiled as he informed me that the lake was still completely frozen over with at least a foot of ice on the surface.
“So, we’ve got a little bit of a different process today,” said Moon. “We’ll have to cut a hole in the ice and we’re going to tube them in.”
While using a 10” tube to stock trout directly from the truck into the water is typical for lake stockings any time of year as a way to quickly and safely disperse the fish, several people in the crowd of a few onlookers who had gathered to watch the stocking didn’t quite know what to expect on the icy lake.
A cold, rainy day on the lake
Thanks to DCNR park staff who anticipated our arrival, a fresh hole had already been cut into the thick ice near the mid-lake boat launch where we’d be stocking the trout. Just as a soft, cold rain had started to fall over the operation, adding to the slippery nature of our task, PFBC Fish Culturists Nate Hoffer and Mitch Bargo made easy work of the stocking, emptying tank after tank of trout into the lake through the tube, just as planned. While you might’ve been able to catch a quick glimpse of the trout sliding through the semi-transparent tube before disappearing under the ice about 20 yards away, to the delight of the crowd, Moon and Hoffer made sure to show off some of the trophy-sized trout being stocked by transporting them to the lake by net.
If two stockings during the course of a week can be so drastically different, consider that the PFBC will stock 691 streams and 130 lakes, many of them multiple times, between February and May this year. Whether you are a stocked trout fanatic who can’t wait for Opening Day, or just someone who appreciates hard work and dedication, look no further than the WCOs and hatchery staff that are out there every day to create a world-class recreational fishing opportunity that Pennsylvanians are lucky to have.
Over 3 million trout
This year’s stocking statewide will include 2.4 million Rainbow Trout, 693,000 Brown Trout, and 125,000 Brook Trout. The average stocked trout measures 11 inches and weighs about 0.58 pounds.
The PFBC will also release 72,000 trophy-sized brood fish including Rainbow, Brown, and Brook Trout measuring between 14-20 inches, and 14,000 golden Rainbow Trout into waters open to public angling. Cooperative nurseries run by sportsmen’s clubs and other groups will supplement the effort by releasing an additional 1.2 million trout.
To purchase your 2025 fishing license and Trout Permit, view the stocking schedule, and find great places to fish, visit Fishandboat.com.
Featured image (top) Trout stocking volunteer Luke Turner holds a golden Rainbow Trout that was stocked into Quittapahilla Creek, Lebanon County, on February 18. Photo courtesy of PA Fish and Boat Commission.
