How the coronavirus pandemic is affecting Pa. park use, trout stocking, fishing and shooting ranges

It was recreation as usual at Colyer Lake over the past few days between rain showers. Many people were enjoying hiking, fishing, birding, boating and walking their dogs. The 77-acre impoundment and surrounding land is owned by the commonwealth but managed for fishing and boating by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

The users of state parks and forests have not been as fortunate, with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic spreading across Pennsylvania and into Centre County.

State Parks

As a result of Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts, state park and forest facilities were officially closed for at least 14 days, beginning March 17. This includes Bald Eagle, Black Moshannon and Poe Valley state parks in Centre County.

According to a recorded message on state park office phones, all buildings, rental facilities, restrooms, cabins, yerts and camping areas are closed. All reservations for facilities during this period have been canceled, as well as any event or public education program.

As of now, trails, parking lots, boat launches, disk golf and picnic areas will remain open, and park rangers will continue to patrol for public safety. Streams and lakes remain open for public fishing as the seasons allow. People are still able to enjoy the parks on a limited basis.

Trout Stocking

If you visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s website looking for their usual trout stocking schedules, you will find a blank page.

Some trout stockings have been social events attracting 50 to 100 people — a situation to be avoided this year. All future trout stockings this spring will be unannounced — the public will not be permitted to participate, and the agency encourages them to stay away. The agency hopes to announce stockings after they occur.

“We realize that many of our stocking volunteers look forward to helping us, but we must take these necessary precautions to ensure public safety during this vital period,” said PFBC Executive Director Tim Schaeffer. “Just as we’ve counted on our volunteers for decades to help us stock trout, we’re counting on them now to play it safe and stay home.”

PFBC Director of Communications Mike Parker added, “Streams, lakes and ponds will still get the same number of trout, we just want to protect our employees and the public. Not all of our hatchery personnel have the licenses necessary to drive stocking trucks and we need to keep them healthy so that stocking can continue.”

According to Parker, 2020 trout stocking will continue at an accelerated schedule, with a priority given to those areas of the state predicted to be affected most severely by COVID-19 because that could result in travel restrictions. In some cases, preseason and in-season stockings will be combined into one stocking for efficiency and to reduce travel and contact with the public.

“We have a live product and we have to get them out to make space for next year’s trout,” Parker said. “We are trying to get as many fish in the water as possible before the opening day on April 18. Since the public can’t help, staff from all across the agency are pitching in.”

The coronavirus is also affecting stocking by the Bald Eagle Sportsmen’s Club. Its cooperative nursery raises over 40,000 trout — many of which are stocked in western Centre County streams.

“Our big stocking day — that was scheduled for April 11 — usually attracts over 50 people from at least four different counties,” club spokesperson Mark Jackson said. “We know that we can’t do it that way this year.”

The club plans to distribute trout a few hundred at a time to avoid the big congregation of people. According to Jackson, some streams that they stock might not receive trout until after the season starts.

Trout Fishing

Other than the way streams will be stocked, thus far little has changed with respect to trout fishing in Centre County. Wild trout streams, such as Spring Creek, are open to fishing now. Stocked trout streams, such as Big Poe Creek, the upper Bald Eagle Creek and Sinking Creek, will open on April 18 for the traditional opening day. The Mentored Youth Trout Day is scheduled to occur on April 11.

An earlier opening day — April 4 — and March 28 Mentored Youth Trout Day had been scheduled in 18 counties in the southeastern part of the state. Having two opening days in recent years caused many local anglers to travel to a southeastern county for the early opener, and then anglers from the southeast would travel into Centre County and the other 48 counties during the traditional mid-April opener.

“Travel in and out of the area of the state with the highest number of COVID-19 cases is not something that we wanted to encourage this year,” Parker said. “So we are having one statewide Mentored Youth Trout day on April 11 and one opening day on April 18. This will reduce travel and stream crowding.”

To reduce unnecessary travel and social contact amid health concerns, Commission Executive Director Tim Schaeffer signed an emergency order that allows anglers and boaters to display their fishing license, launch permit, or boat registration digitally on a phone or other mobile device as proof of possession.

Shooting ranges

The Pennsylvania Game Commission announced Friday that it is closing all shooting ranges on state game lands, effective immediately, until further notice.

The closure includes rifle, shotgun, pistol, and archery ranges.

According to a Game Commission news release, “… Many of these ranges can become very crowded and represent a potential risk to the spread of COVID-19.”

The PGC operates approximately 30 shooting ranges across the state.

”We know the ranges are popular, and we know this announcement will cause disappointment among those who use these ranges,” Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans noted. “But our No. 1 priority at this time is public health, and we are encouraging people to stay home and heed all state and federal safety precautions.”

To further mitigate the impact of COVID-19, both commissions have closed their offices and buildings to the public, including the very popular visitor center at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.

The Game Commission has postponed in-person Hunter-Trapper Education classes. However, hunters 11 years and older now can take the online Hunter-Trapper Education class, and all fees typically associated with the online course will be waived through March 30.

This story was originally published March 21, 2020 at 11:30 AM.