| Beaver County Times
Beginning last week and continuing through mid-December, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission stocking trucks will roll out with approximately 120,000 hatchery-raised adult rainbow and brown and brook trout for more than 100 streams and lakes. These stockings will replenish some of the most popular fishing spots across the commonwealth immediately and provide possible ice fishing opportunities throughout the winter, depending upon the weather.
“Fall can be one of the most scenic and enjoyable times of year to spend a day fishing, and we’re excited to provide a special opportunity for those anglers who love fishing for trout,” Brian Wisner, director of the commission’s Bureau of Hatcheries, said in a recent press release. “Pennsylvania is fortunate to have some of the best wild trout fishing waters in the country, as well as the high-quality fish we’ve been raising at our hatcheries to deliver fresh fishing opportunities to people across the state.”
Just like during the spring stockings, the commission will conduct fall and winter trout stockings differently than in previous years due to public safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteers will not be permitted to assist with fall and winter stocking, and to limit interaction with the public, specific stocking dates will not be announced. Stockings will be conducted only by commission staff wearing personal protective equipment, including masks.
To connect anglers with these trout fishing opportunities, the commission has published a list of dates and locations on its website indicating the week during which the stocking will occur. This measure aims to provide some stocking information while continuing to discourage large gatherings planned around specific stocking events. All fall and winter trout stockings will occur weekdays. The stocking schedule is subject to change due to local water conditions and other factors.
More on that later.
The average size of stocked trout, according to Mike Parker, communnications director at the commission, is 11 to 12 inches. These fish will weigh a little over ½ pound.
For the first two weeks, we won’t see any fish as all the stockings will happen east and north of our area. The closest waters to us will be Oil Creek in Venango County (from the Petroleum Center Bridge to the Columbia Farm railroad bridge) and the North Fork of Redbank Creek in Jefferson County (from the first tributary downstream of the Rose/Eldred Township line to the Route 322 bridge in Brookville). So, if you are up camp and want to find some fresh fish, there you go.
Anglers on local waters will get into the action starting the week of Oct. 18, when Raccoon Creek Lake, Cascade Quarry and Neshannock Creek will receive trout. Thanks to the Neshannock Creek Fly Shop, there are plenty of trout in the creek after it stocked back in September. Stockings occur between the Mill Dam in Volant down to the Covered Bridge Road bridge. The Fly Shop float-stocked the fish, so they are spread out. With limited manpower, the commission fish will be heavily stocked at each end of the stretch.
Other waters within a short drive being stocked that week include: Deer Creek, Lower Deer Lake, Middle Deer Lake, Upper Deer Lake and Pine Creek in Allegheny County; Shenango River in Mercer County; and Canonsburg Lake and Dutch Fork Lake in Washington County.
Stockings scheduled for November and December include Glade Run Lake Nov. 2 to 7, Bradys Run Lake Nov. 16 to 21, Bessemer Lake Dec. 7 to 12 and North Park Lake Dec. 14 to 19.
Mike Barcaskey is an outdoors enthusiast, hunter and fisherman. He can be reached at mikebarcaskey@outlook.com.
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