‘Use caution’
Catch and release of early trout is legal on some waters
On an unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon in early March — 60 degrees and sunny skies — Bob Segal confidently flips a jig into North Park Lake, silently counting its rate of descent before reeling.
Six weeks until the April 18 statewide opening of trout season and 18 days before a big Fish and Boat Commission trout stocking, the lifelong fisherman is already targeting trout. He has thrown back six since a special-regulation season opened March 1, he says, including two rainbows in the 13-inch range that were released within the hour.
It’s all legal in 41 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties on designated waters such as North Park Lake, managed under the Stocked Trout Waters Open for Year-Round Fishing program.
But there’s a catch to the catchand-release rule. After release, the trout may not die.
When the special regulation debuted about 10 years ago, it replaced a 31-day early season that permitted fishing for legal game species on some trout-stocked waters in the weeks prior to the season opener. Trout that were mistakenly caught had to be released.
The current rule applies yearround for game species and permits the use of all tackle. It conforms to standard and extendedseason trout regulations with the exception of the six weeks prior to the opening of trout season.
“These waters are open to fishing from March 1 to opening day of trout season; however, no trout may be taken or possessed on these waters during this period,” states the regulation.
Mike Parker, Fish and Boat spokesman, says “taken or possessed” means that after removal of the hook the fish remains in some way restrained.
“Put it on a stringer, put it in a bucket or livewell or just throw it on the ground out of the water and the [trout] has been taken or possessed,” he says. “That would be illegal.”
The regulation continues: “A trout/salmon permit is not required to fish in lakes and ponds that have been designated as Stocked Trout Waters Open to Year-Round Fishing unless the person takes, kills or possesses, while in the act of fishing, a trout or salmon on or in these waters.”
Takes, or possesses? Suppose an angler on these waters has a general fishing license and trout stamp, lawfully catches and releases a trout, but a few minutes later it floats belly up.
“If that trout is released but ends up floating in the lake shortly thereafter, we could certainly investigate and pursue prosecution,” says Mr. Parker. “All incidents pursued are on a case-by-case basis, but it would likely take a blatant abuse of the regulation to warrant prosecution.”
It would be difficult, he says, to determine if an angler was responsible for the death of a trout legally caught and released in those waters. A Wildlife Conservation Officer could witness mistreatment of the trout by an angler, which led to the fish’s death, or an eyewitness could report an angler who kept a trout out of the water for a lethal period of time, taking photos, for example.
“If you are going to fish in one of these areas, there’s a lot of responsibility on the angler to use caution,” says Mr. Parker. “While you are allowed to fish for trout, you must release them unharmed immediately.”
Considering the complications in Stocked Trout Open to YearRound Fishing regulation, having a trout stamp is recommended.
Fisherman Scott Karavlan of McCandless says that despite the risk, year-round fishing on the program’s mostly suburban impoundments has obvious advantages. He uses the March and earlyApril catch-and-release trout requirement at North Park Lake to help teach his children, Logan, 12, and twins Ronan and Rose, 10, about the importance of safe fish handling and wildlife conservation.
“I believe that American anglers are some of our nation’s best conservationists. Without fish to catch it’s hard to create new anglers,” he says. “I’d be lying if I said I don’t worry about the survival rate of fish released, but I believe with proper handling even fish caught with [live] bait can survive.”
Mr. Karavlan says many kids, including his, have schedules loaded with school and athletic obligations.
“Allowing year-round fishing on specific waters allows me more opportunities to fish with my sons and daughter throughout the year whenever we can find the time,” he says.
The rule is a little different on rivers and streams enrolled in the program. From March 1 through April 18, a trout stamp is required whether you hook a trout or not.
Statewide, 74 lakes and sections of rivers and streams are included in the Stocked Trout Waters Open for Year-Round Fishing program. Fish and Boat trout stocking schedules show those lakes in Allegheny and adjacent counties will start getting fish in two weeks. Allegheny County: North Park Lake, March 26. Beaver County: Bradys Run Lake, April 15; Raccoon Lake, April 16. Washington County: Canonsburg Lake, March 27. Westmoreland County: Keystone Lake, March 25; Northmoreland Lake, April 3; Twin Lakes (upper and lower), March 30.