Afield: What to know about trout fishing in Centre County as statewide opening day nears

Trout stocking in Centre County began on March 8, and will continue in preparation for an early opening day — to be held on April 3 this year. While most stocked trout streams are closed to fishing until then, the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only section of Black Moshannon Creek and the newly created and unique Keystone Select Stocked Trout Water on Bald Eagle Creek are exceptions.

During the next two weeks, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will add thousands of brook, brown, rainbow and golden rainbow trout to area streams, ponds and dams. The Three-Point Sportsmen and the Bald Eagle Sportsmen cooperative trout nurseries will be stocking thousands more.

Marsh, Penns, Little Fishing and upper Standing Stone creeks, as well as part of Wallace Run, have already been visited by stocking trucks. A quick rundown of upcoming stockings include:

• March 23 — Cold Stream and Cold Stream Dam
• March 24 — Black Moshannon Dam
• March 25 — Standing Stone Creek (sec. 2)
• March 27 — Eddy Lick Run and South Fork Beech Creek
• March 30 — Big Poe Creek, Poe Lake and 7 Mts. Boy Scout Pond
• March 31 — Sixmile Run
• April 1 — White Deer and Pine creeks

To provide for additional angling opportunities during this time, trout that are stocked in lakes, reservoirs and ponds during the pre-season will be open to catch-and-release angling but may not be harvested until the Mentored Youth Day (for youths only) and the opening day of trout season. In Centre County, this includes Cold Stream Dam, Black Moshannon Dam, Poe Lake and the 7 Mountains Boy Scout Pond.

Sections to be stocked, as well as truck meeting locations and times are available on the Fish and Boat website (www.fishandboat.com). Members of the public are welcome to observe the stocking as long as they follow social distancing and masking guidelines. Only pre-approved volunteer stocking is allowed this year. Always check the stocking list, because changes are sometimes made.

One statewide opening day

Centre County’s traditional opening day for trout season is usually the Saturday closest to April 15, which would have made it April 17, this year. In recent years, this followed an opening day in 18 southeastern counties — usually scheduled two weeks earlier.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the commission voted to have one statewide trout opener, to be held April 3. This decision was made to encourage people to fish locally, therefore limiting travel and crowding.

Under this revised plan, a single Statewide Mentored Youth Trout Day will occur on March 27. Because mentored youth days were canceled 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 PFBC Executive Director Tim Schaeffer. “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 appreciate the cooperation of the anglers as we prepare for the safest season possible and encourage them to enjoy their local waters.”

New Keystone Select for Centre County

Centre County has a new and unique special regulation water located on Bald Eagle Creek, north of Port Matilda. The best access to the stream is through Soaring Eagle Wetland, at 6543 South Eagle Valley Road in Julian.

At their October 2020 meeting, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commissioners unanimously approved the passage of an experimental special regulation for this .86-mile section of Bald Eagle Creek, which is mostly on the Wildlife for Everyone property.

This “Miscellaneous Special Regulation” is designed to enhance stocked trout management. The regulations here are almost identical to current Keystone Select Stocked Trout regulations. However, all terminal tackle types (bait, lures and flies) will be permitted. Only flies and lures are permitted in all other Keystone Select areas. It is the only such water that allows the use of bait.

The attraction in this special regulation stream section is big trout. Under the Keystone Select program, large trout — 14 to 20 inches in length — are stocked at a rate of up to 250 trout per mile. The regulation is designed to provide for harvesting trout under a reduced creel limit when stream conditions are less favorable for trout survival due to typically decreased summer flow and elevated water temperatures. Apart from that, anglers will be permitted to fish for stocked trout for an extended period of catch and release angling with all tackle types. Then, as stream conditions become less favorable for trout survival, harvest will be permitted under a reduced creel limit.

Stocking day on the Wildlife for Everyone property occurred on March 13. Several dozen people were on hand to watch over 200 large trout and many more smaller rainbow, golden rainbow and brown trout being stocked in this section of Bald Eagle Creek. About a dozen anglers stuck around to try their luck on the newly stocked fish. The stream section is scheduled to be stocked again on April 19.

This is the first Keystone Select water in central Pennsylvania and the only one in the entire state to allow the use of bait. Allowing the use of bait gives agency staff an opportunity to look at angler opinions, usage, catch and preferences as compared to other Keystone Select streams that are managed with traditional artificial-lures-only restrictions.

Based on use, local anglers seem to be happy with the new special regulation water on Bald Eagle Creek — and the big trout.

“I want to thank the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission for taking a step in the right direction with this new special regulation water,” Mark Jackson, of Warriors Mark said. “This all-inclusive water allows everyone, with their tackle method of choice, to fish in this new special regulation area and enjoy catch-and-release delayed-harvest trout fishing at its best. When completed, the new boardwalk and fishing platform at the Soaring Eagle Wetland will allow the inclusion of even more anglers.”