PFBC plans 114,700 fall and winter trout starting Oct. 1

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is lining up about 114,700 hatchery adult trout for fall and winter, WGAL reported in an update posted Sept. 29, 2026. Rainbows, browns, and brook trout are scheduled for 117 stream sections and lakes. Trucks start Oct. 1 and run through mid-December. The fish may be caught as soon as they are stocked, including into the ice season.

October holds most of the plant: about 86,100 adults in 92 waters, 52 lakes and 40 stream sections. Sixteen of those are Keystone Select Trout Waters fished under Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only rules. November and December add about 28,600 trout in 25 lakes.

“Beautiful scenery and some of the most comfortable temperatures of the year are in store for anglers who take advantage of stocked trout opportunities this fall,” said Brian Niewinski, director of the Bureau of Hatcheries. He said cooler water also turns on bass, panfish, catfish, and walleye, and he asked anglers and stocking volunteers to keep checking the schedule. Weather, water temperature, or hatchery operations can move a date.

The extended trout season is already underway. It opened Sept. 8 and runs through Feb. 14, 2027, and it applies only on designated Stocked Trout Waters. Through Dec. 31 the limit is three trout of any combination, each at least 7 inches. After that the minimum goes to 9 inches unless a special regulation applies. Harvest is not allowed on other waters during the extended season.

A cold-weather life-jacket rule starts Nov. 1 and runs through April 30. Anyone on a boat under 16 feet, including canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards, must wear a personal flotation device. Children 12 and younger must wear one any time they are paddling.

Photo: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (Waterways Conservation Officer Seth Strawser stocking rainbow trout at Holman Lake, Little Buffalo State Park, Perry County, October 2025).

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: WGAL — Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to stock 114,700 trout for fall, winter (updated Sept. 29, 2026).