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| Regulations by Location |
| COMMONWEALTH INLAND WATERS |
| Includes the Youghiogheny River Lake and does not include special regulation areas or endangered and threatened species not shown on this chart. |
| Species |
Seasons |
Minimum Size |
Daily Limit |
| All Species of Trout and Salmon
Additional regulations map apply -- see Trout Regulations |
Regional Opening Day of Trout Season*
March 29 at 8 a.m. through Sept. 1 (only 18 southeastern PA counties) |
7 inches |
5-streams, lakes and ponds
(combined species) |
Regular Season
April 12 at 8 a.m. through Sept. 1 |
7 inches |
5-streams, lakes and ponds
(combined species) |
Extended Season (approved trout waters and all waters downstream of approved trout waters)
Jan. 1 through Feb. 29 and Sept. 2 through Dec. 31 |
7 inches |
3
(combined species) |
Bass-Lakes
Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted
Additional regulations may apply-see Big Bass regulations |
Jan. 1 through April 11 and Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 |
15 inches |
4
(combined species) |
| April 12 through June 13 |
NO HARVEST - catch and immediate release only (no tournaments permitted) |
| June 14 through Oct. 31 |
12 inches |
6
(combined species) |
Bass-Rivers and Streams
Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted
Additional regulations may apply-see Big Bass regulations |
Jan. 1 through April 11 and Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 |
15 inches |
4
(combined species) |
| April 12 through June 13 |
NO HARVEST - catch and immediate release only (no tournaments permitted) |
| June 14 through Sept. 30 |
12 inches |
6
(combined species) |
| Muskellunge and Tiger Muskellunge** |
Open year-round |
40 inches |
1
(combined species) |
| Pickerel** |
18 inches |
4 |
| Northern Pike** |
24 inches |
2
(combined species) |
| Walleye and Saugeye (hybrids) |
Jan. 1 through March 14 and May 3 through Dec. 31 |
15 inches |
6 |
| Sauger |
12 inches |
6 |
| American Shad*** |
Open year-round |
No minimum |
6 |
American Shad
Lehigh River, Schuylkill River****
and tributaries |
Open year-round |
No minimum |
1 |
American Shad, Alewife, Blueback Herring
Susquehanna River and tributaries |
CLOSED YEAR-ROUND |
| Hickory Shad*** |
CLOSED YEAR-ROUND |
| Herring, Gizzard Shad*** |
Open year-round |
No minimum |
50
(combined species) |
| American Eel |
Open year-round |
8 inches |
50 |
| Striped Bass and Striped Bass/White Bass Hybrids |
Open year-round |
20 inches |
2
(combined species) |
| Sunfish, Yellow Perch, White
Perch, Crappies, Catfish, Rock
Bass, Suckers, Carp, White Bass and other gamefish not otherwise listed
Additional regulations may
apply-see Panfish Enhancement Special Regulations |
Open year-round |
No minimum |
50
(combined species) |
| Baitfish/Fishbait (except Mudbugs) |
Open year-round |
No minimum |
50
(combined species) |
| American Eel (as Baitfish) |
Open year-round |
6-8 inches |
50 |
| Mudbugs (Dragonfly Nymphs) |
Open year-round |
No minimum |
Unlimited if taken from lakes, ponds, swamps and adjacent areas. 50
per day if taken from moving waters (rivers and streams). |
| Paddlefish |
CLOSED YEAR-ROUND |
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| Seasons, sizes and creel limits -- Except for trout season, which begins at 8 a.m., all regulatory periods in the fishing regulations are based on the calendar day, one of which ends at midnight and the next of which begins immediately thereafter.
* Includes only those waters in 18 southeastern PA counties and two waters crossing from those counties listed in the Regional Opening Day of Trout Season Program.
** Except those species in waters listed in the Brood Stock Lakes Program. Tiger muskellunge is a muskellunge hybrid.
*** Unlawful to take, catch or kill American shad, hickory shad (endangered species), alewife and blueback herring (collectively known as river herring) in the Susquehanna River and all its tributaries.
**** Schuylkill River upstream of the I-95 bridge and its tributaries.
NOTE: It is not a violation of the bass regulations if a bass is immediately returned unharmed to the waters from which it was taken. It is unlawful for an angler to cast repeatedly into a clearly visible bass spawning nest or redd in an effort to catch or take bass.
NOTE: For bass regulations, power dam pools and recreational dam pools on the Susquehanna River and navigational dam pools on the Ohio River drainage are "rivers."
NOTE: Approved trout waters are closed to fishing from March 1 to the opening day of the regular trout season in April, unless included in the Early Season Trout-Stocked Waters Program or Regional Opening Day of Trout Season Program.
NOTE: Landlocked alewife less than 8 inches in length taken from inland ponds, lakes, or reservoirs
that are collected by legal means may be harvested for use as baitfish. |
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