2002 Catchable-Trout Stocking Program Changes by Tom Greene photo-Art Michaels Beginning this season, the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Com- As with past practice, changes for the 2002 season will mission will produce approximately 3.8 million adult trout include the addition of new water areas, some expansions to for distribution in the waters of the Commonwealth. In currently stocked waters, and the removal of several waters comparison with past practice, this figure represents a reduc- from the stocking program. tion of about 1.4 million trout from the 5.2 million or so stocked in 2001. New waters Pennsylvania’s state fish culture stations are currently For the 2002 season, new-water additions consist of three faced with challenges related to both water quantity and water previously stocked waters that return to the stocking program quality. To take prompt action to address these issues, it was as a result of completed dam maintenance repair and a necessary at least temporarily to reduce the number of adult landowner agreement to provide public angling. trout produced in our state hatcheries and stocked in state Cloe Lake, Jefferson County. Following a two-year waters open to free public fishing. period of drawdown for dam maintenance and repairs, this As part of this change, Commis- 25.5-acre lake is expected to be avail- sion fisheries managers have worked able for trout angling for the 2002 closely with law enforcement and season. If the water levels are re- other staff to develop a plan to real- stored according to schedule, the locate the stocking of hatchery trout lake will receive a preseason and an for the 2002 season and beyond. inseason stocking of brown and rain- The foundation of the Commission’s bow trout. stocked trout program is based on Harvey Creek, Luzerne the classification of waters by re- County. As part of an agreement source-based fisheries management between the Commission and Theta considerations. Under this method Land Corporation, a 1.5-mile stream of allocating trout, the number of section extending from T-812 (Jack- trout stocked in a stream or lake is son Road) downstream to T-497 determined by neutral and consis- (Pavlick Road) will be reopened to public angling for the 2002 tent factors that are applied on a statewide basis. For example, season. As with past practice, this section of stream will be when two waters share the same characteristics, they are managed under the Delayed-Harvest, Artificial-Lures-Only stocked at the same rate (number of trout per water acre) program and will receive a preseason and one inseason stock- regardless of their location, county or municipality. The ing of brook, brown and rainbow trout. resource-based system of allocating stocked trout considers Roaring Brook, Lackawanna County. The stream sec- biological, physical and social factors in determining stocking tion from the dam at Elmhurst Reservoir downstream for a rates. These include abundance of wild trout, recreational use distance of 2.0 miles will also be reopened to public angling for potential (nearness to a road, amount of public ownership 2002 as part of the agreement between the Commission and and the amount of posting), the size of waters stocked (width Theta Land Corporation. This stream section will be stocked of the stream) and human population density. preseason and inseason with brook, brown and rainbow trout. With the reduction of 1.4 million trout from the state- wide production system, most stocked waters will have a Expansions to current waters decrease in the stocking rate and the frequency of stocking for the 2002 season. Stocking rate reductions (totaling about Changes in classification and/or stocking limit extensions 1.23 million trout) will account for the vast majority of the have led to an increase in the stocking program on the necessary 1.4-million trout reduction in the stocking pro- following waters for the 2002 season: gram. This will be accomplished by changing the stocking rates under the statewide allocation formulas. The remainder Antietam Lake ................................................................ Berks County of the reduction (172,000 trout) will occur through the Appenzell Creek.......................................................... Monroe County removal of specific waters from the statewide stocking pro- Asaph Run ...................................................................... Tioga County gram. Bear Creek ............................................................... Schuylkill County Bowery Run .............................................................. Lancaster County (10 sections), low angler use (10 sections) and poor water Bradford Reservoir #3 ................................................ McKean County quality (8 sections). Briar Creek Lake ...................................................... Columbia County In addition, 8 lakes will be removed from the stocking Brush Creek-Little ........................................................ Fulton County program. The reasons for removing these lakes include: Childrens Lake..................................................... Cumberland County Access, habitat and or posting problems (2 lakes), privately Conestoga Creek, Little-West Branch ....................... Lancaster County owned lakes that are too small to justify the continuation of Deer Creek ...................................................................... York County stocking in a time of reduced allocations (3 lakes), and lake Deer Creek-North ........................................................Mercer County drainage for maintenance repairs (3 lakes). Doubling Gap Lake ............................................. Cumberland County Waters that will be removed from the stocking program Goss Run Dam ......................................................... Clearfield County beginning with the 2002 season are as follows: Halfway Lake ................................................................ Union County Harvey Creek .............................................................. Luzerne County Allegheny River ............................................................Potter County* Hickory Run Lake ....................................................... Carbon County Allen Creek ................................................................ Somerset County Hoffman Run .................................................................... Elk County Angelica Lake.................................................................. Berks County Indian Lake ...................................................... Westmoreland County Antietam Creek-West Branch ................................... Franklin County* Janesville Dam .......................................................... Clearfield County Aquashicola Creek ...................................Carbon & Monroe counties* Jones Creek................................................................... Wayne County Asaph Run-Left .............................................................. Tioga County Kooser Lake ............................................................... Somerset County Bailey Run ..................................................................... Potter County Lake Creek.................................................................. Monroe County Barnetts Run................................................................. Fulton County Lake Loch Lomond........................................................... Pike County Bear Creek-Big (01) ..................................................... Carbon County Lake Took-A-While .................................................... Luzerne County Bear Creek-Big (02) ..................................................... Carbon County Lily Pond .......................................................................... Pike County Bear Run ........................................................................... Elk County Lions Lake ................................................................. Lebanon County Beaver Run .................................................................. Chester County Loch Alsh Reservoir ............................................ Montgomery County Beaver Run ............................................................... Clearfield County Mahoning Creek.......................................................... Carbon County Beaver Run .............................................................. Columbia County Marquette Lake ......................................................... Lebanon County Beaver Rod & Gun Club Dam ................................... Bedford County Middletown Reservoir ............................................... Dauphin County Beaverdam Creek ....................................................... Bedford County* Mountain Creek .......................................................... Fayette County Beaverdam Run ......................................................... Cambria County Muddy Creek .................................................................. York County Belmouth Run ................................................................... Elk County Muddy Creek-North Branch ........................................... York County Bender Run ............................................................... Cambria County Muddy Creek-South Branch ............................................ York County Bennett Branch-South Branch .................................. Clearfield County Princess Run ..............................................................