Despite Phil’s News, Brewster Says Spring on the Way

Despite Phil’s News, Brewster Says Spring on the Way

February 2, 2022

Harrisburg, February 2, 2022 – Despite the news delivered by Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog today, State Senator Jim Brewster said there are real signs that spring is on the way.

“With due respect to Phil, for thousands of Pennsylvanians like me, this week’s release of the Trout Stocking Schedule is enough to let us know to start preparing for spring,” Brewster said. “It’s time for anglers across Pennsylvania to get their maps and equipment together to pick out their prime spots and be ready to cast.”

In Punxsutawney today, Phil predicted six more weeks of winter.

The trout stocking schedule is searchable by county, lists the waterways in alphabetical order and indicates stocking dates, meeting locations for volunteers, and the species of trout that will be stocked.

In 2022, Pennsylvania will return to a single, statewide Opening Day of Trout Season on April 2. A single, statewide Mentored Youth Trout Day will take place on Saturday, March 26. Under this change, which will result in a longer regular season for trout statewide, the practice of holding a separate regional opening day and mentored youth day for Pennsylvania’s 18 southeastern counties will no longer occur. 

Senator Brewster, also the Chairman of the PA Senate Game & Fisheries Committee, volunteers annually to help with the stocking and urged others to do the same.

“Volunteering is a good way to give back to the sport that gives so much to families in our region,” he said. “It’s a great way to initiate young people into giving their time to help their communities.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) will be welcoming the volunteers to help distribute approximately 3.2 million hatchery-raised adult trout to hundreds of waterways statewide throughout the 2022 season. The PFBC is proud to partner with conservation groups, schools, and walk-up volunteers to help spread out the trout in local waterways. Volunteers are asked to keep the safety of PFBC staff and other volunteers in mind, obey traffic laws while following stocking vehicles, and stay home if they are not feeling well.

For more information on trout stocking, visit the PFBC website.

Sen. Brewster Says 2013 Trout Stocking Schedules Now Available

February 27, 2013

McKeesport, February 27, 2013 – State Sen. Jim Brewster today said local anglers can now access statewide trout stocking schedules online.

“While this may not guarantee that you’ll catch the big one, it sure can’t hurt your chances,” Brewster said. “I urge people who enjoy fishing to take a look at the wealth of information on the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s (PFBC) website.”

[frame align=”right”]stocking2013[/frame]Brewster said the commission is stocking adult trout in a variety of lakes and streams statewide this year and has posted “where” and “when” those fish will be released at www.fishandboat.com. Anglers can easily search the trout stocking schedules for locations and dates of interest. He said the list can be reached through the link for 2013 Trout Stocking Schedules. Just select a county and start and end date from the calendars at the top of the page. Then press “Go.”

He said the search results will provide each body of water within a county that is scheduled for stocking, the section of water, the date, the species of trout, the meeting place and time, the hatchery stocking the section, the regulations that apply and even the latitude/longitude number.

Brewster said his local office staff stands ready to help those without computers or those who have trouble accessing the PFBC internet site.

The PFBC annually stocks approximately 3.2 million adult trout in 735 streams and 123 lakes. These figures include approximately 1.84 million rainbow; 836,000 brown; and 509,000 brook trout. As with past practice, the average size of the trout produced for stocking is 11 inches. The PFBC also plans to stock about 8,500 trophy golden rainbow trout that weigh an average of 1.5 pounds and measure at least 14 inches long.

Brewster said about 52 percent of the trout are stocked prior to opening day; 43 percent are stocked between opening day and June; and the rest are stocked from October through February of the following year.

He added that cooperative nurseries run by sportsmen’s clubs across the state will add another 1 million trout to waters close to them.

The 2013 season will open at area lakes and streams on April 13.

 

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