Trout opening day will be uniform across Pa. in 2021

Well, it was fun while it lasted, that being the days when Pennsylvania trout fishermen enjoyed two separate and distinct opening days, one for those of us here in the southeastern corner of the Commonwealth, the other two weeks later for the rest of the state. Alas, as the song says, “Life sung a pretty song, Now those days are gone.” At least for this year, still operating in the shadow of Covid 19, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) has decided that the two opening days approach, at least for now, is dead in the water.

That’s because during its quarterly business meeting held on January 25, the PFBC announced several changes to the upcoming 2021 trout season, including opening day dates and stocking operations.

These changes, effective immediately, include consolidating the 2021 season into a single, statewide schedule for all Pennsylvania counties.

That includes: beginning trout stocking operations earlier than usual; reinstating limited volunteer opportunities for trout stocking operations; and releasing a schedule of trout stocking dates and locations. All changes were made by the PFBC in consultation with the Office of the Governor, Pennsylvania Department of Health, and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to address ongoing public health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic while preserving the opportunity to enjoy the fun and recreational health benefits of fishing.

For the 2021 trout season, the PFBC will operate under a consolidated statewide schedule for all counties. Under this revised plan, a single Statewide Mentored Youth Trout Day will occur on Saturday, March 27, and a single Statewide Opening Day of trout season will take place on Saturday, April 3. As a result of this consolidation, separate regional mentored youth and opening days will not occur. Anglers are also reminded that because the mentored youth days were cancelled in 2020, all Voluntary Youth Fishing Licenses purchased last season remain valid and will be honored during the 2021 season.

“Thank you to the anglers and boaters of Pennsylvania for their understanding as we continue to experience these changes together and get back on the water in 2021,” said Tim Schaeffer, PFBC Executive Director. “The move to an earlier statewide schedule for trout season ensures that we can preserve our cherished fishing traditions while reducing the amount of travel across multiple opening days. We wanted to give anglers as much time and information as possible to plan ahead, and we think they will especially like having the stocking dates and locations available at their fingertips again this year on our FishBoatPA mobile app and website (www.fishandboat.com). Starting two weeks earlier gives trout anglers statewide two more weeks to enjoy everything that comes with this special time of year. We appreciate the cooperation of the anglers as we prepare for the safest season possible and encourage them to enjoy their local waters.”

To prepare for the consolidated statewide trout season schedule, the PFBC will begin pre-season trout stocking operations on February 15, 2021, approximately two weeks earlier than in previous seasons. This change will allow hatchery staff to deliver trout to many waters ahead of the Statewide Mentored Youth Trout Day and, weather permitting, all waters prior to the Statewide Opening Day. Due to this change, all streams that are designated as stocked trout waters will be closed to angling when stocking begins on February 15. To provide for additional angling opportunities during this time, trout which are stocked in lakes, reservoirs, and ponds during the pre-season will be open to catch-andrelease angling but may not be harvested until Statewide Mentored Youth Day and Statewide Opening Day.

In the meantime, let’s hope the groundhog sees his shadow this morning. Spring can’t come soon enough.

Downingtown’s Jude DiMedio displays a fat rainbow caught and released on West Valley Creek last year. Unlike years past when two opening days were in play, the PFBC has established just one this year.