HARRISBURG – In five months, the 2026 trout season will dominate the thoughts of Pennsylvania anglers as they prepare for Mentored Youth Trout Day and the Statewide Opening Day. For the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, however, there is still plenty of work to do to wrap up 2025 before the Jan. 1 opening day of the 2026 season.

At its recent quarterly business meeting the PFBC encouraged anglers and boaters to take advantage of the many fall and winter fishing and boating opportunities available across the Commonwealth and reminded everyone to make safety a priority while enjoying the water. Board president and District 2 commissioner John Mahn, Jr. also took the opportunity remind anglers and boaters about the annual cold weather life jacket requirement that began this week and lasts through April 30, 2026.

“With beautiful weather and scenic surroundings continuing to draw people outdoors this fall, many anglers, boaters, and hunters are still very active on our waterways,” Mahn said. “While we encourage everyone to keep going and enjoy the adventures that still await, we also want to make sure safety is a part of those plans throughout the cold weather months.

“Whether you’re paddling on your favorite stream, fishing or waterfowl hunting from a boat, or venturing out onto a frozen lake for ice fishing this winter, please wear your life jacket. It’s the law this time of year on all kayaks, canoes, and boats under 16 feet.  Life jackets really do save lives.”

In his report to the board, executive director Tim Schaeffer reminded the public that the application period remains open for the PFBC’s popular Boating Facility Grant Program.

Applications for the program are due by Dec. 1, 2025, and information about the program, including application materials, can be found on the PFBC website at www.Fishandboat.com.

In other action involving fisheries the board approved an exemption to 58 Pa. Code § 57.8a to allow for the stocking of Rainbow Trout at Freeman Run, Section 04, Potter County. Under this proposal, Section 04 will provide a unique opportunity for PFBC staff to evaluate the use of special regulations to mitigate the impact of stocking a Class A wild trout stream section that was stocked previously, designated as a Class A wild trout stream section and removed from the stocking program, and then added back to the program and managed with special regulations.

Now that an exemption to allow for the stocking of Rainbow Trout at Freeman Run, Section 04, Potter County, has been approved, commissioners gave final approval to changes pertaining to fishing regulations on the stream section. Under this change, Section 04 will be managed under a Miscellaneous Special Regulation that will manage Brown Trout and Brook Trout with catch-and-release regulations and maintain Commonwealth Inland Waters (58 Pa. Code § 61.1) regulations for all other species with all tackle types permitted, with the amendment taking effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Commissioners gave final approval to changes in fishing regulations at Donegal Lake, a 92-acre PFBC-owned lake located in Donegal Township, Westmoreland County.  Under these changes, Donegal Lake will be removed from management under a Miscellaneous Special Regulation which permitted the harvest of trout under Commonwealth Inland Waters regulations but no harvest of other species.

In separate related action, the board added Donegal Lake to the Big Bass program (58 Pa. Code § 65.9) and Panfish Enhancement program (58 Pa. Code § 65.11) for crappies.  These changes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Commissioners approved a change in fishing regulations at Lake Luxembourg, located in Middletown Township, Bucks County. Under this change, the 166-acre impoundment owned by Bucks County will be removed from the Stocked Trout Waters (STW) Open to Year-Round Fishing (OYR) program (58 Pa. Code § 65.19).

In December 2021, the PFBC was notified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection of a do-not-eat fish consumption advisory issued for the entire Neshaminy Creek basin, which includes Lake Luxembourg.  The consumption advisory was issued due to elevated levels of Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid in water samples collected and analyzed by the DEP.

Subsequently, the PFBC canceled stockings of all waters included in the STW program within the Neshaminy Creek basin beginning in 2022. Staff has not proposed to remove Lake Luxembourg from the STW-OYR program until this time because additional water quality sampling by the DEP could have resulted in the consumption advisory being revised to be less inclusive of the entire basin, however, the consumption advisory for the basin will remain through 2026 and potentially longer.

Upon removal of this regulation, Lake Luxembourg will be managed with Commonwealth Inland Waters regulations (58 Pa. Code § 61.1).  This change will go into effect January 1, 2026.

The Board approved a change in fishing regulations at West Valley Creek, Section 03, Chester County. Under this change, Section 03 will be removed from the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only Areas program (58 Pa. Code § 65.6).

In February 2024, the PFBC was notified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection of an issue with sinkholes forming in the immediate vicinity of West Valley Creek. To ensure safety of agency staff, volunteers and anglers, the PFBC canceled all trout stockings for both West Valley Creek, sections 02 and 03, for 2024 and 2025.

To date, the DEP has documented more than 100 sinkholes, creating a very unsafe and unstable environment in sections 02 and 03. Given the ongoing safety concerns, staff recommend that Section 03 be removed from the DHALO program.

Sections 02 and 03 will also be removed from the Stocked Trout Waters program for 2026. This designation will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Commissioners voted to approve revisions to two stream sections managed as Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only Areas (58 Pa. Code § 65.6): Manada Creek, Section 02, Dauphin County;, Muncy Creek, Section 06, Lycoming County. Public and landowner feedback received in 2025 pertaining to these sections suggest that small reaches on each of the two streams would be better managed under alternative regulations.

As such, it is recommended that portions of these streams be removed from the DHALO program in favor of Commonwealth Inland Waters regulations (58 Pa. Code § 61.1) to optimize angling opportunities while meeting the desires of landowners and anglers that fish these waters. These designations will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.

(Dietz is a member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association Contact the writer: outdoors@republicanherald.com.)