Summary of Pennsylvania Fishing Laws and Regulations

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 30 at 8 a.m. through Sept. 2 (only 18 southeastern PA counties)	7 inches	5-streams, lakes and ponds (combined species)
	Regular Season April 13 at 8 a.m. through Sept. 2	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. 28 and Sept. 3 through Dec. 31	7 inches	3 (combined species)
Bass-Lakes Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted Additional regulations may apply–see Big Bass and Catch and Release Bass regulations	Jan. 1 through April 12 and Nov. 1 through Dec. 31	15 inches	4 (combined species)
	April 13 through June 14	NO HARVEST - catch and immediate release only (no tournaments permitted)
	June 15 through Oct. 31	12 inches	6 (combined species)
Bass-Rivers and Streams Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted Additional regulations may apply–see Big Bass and Catch and Release Bass regulations	Jan. 1 through April 12 and Oct. 1 through Dec. 31	15 inches	4 (combined species)
	April 13 through June 14	NO HARVEST - catch and immediate release only (no tournaments permitted)
	June 15 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 4 through Dec. 31	15 inches	6
Sauger	Jan. 1 through March 14 and May 4 through Dec. 31	12 inches	6
American Shad***	Open year-round	No minimum	3
American Shad Lehigh River, Schuylkill River**** and tributaries	Open year-round	NO HARVEST - catch and immediate release only
American Shad, River 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 and Mussels / Clams)	Open year-round	No minimum	50 (combined species)
American Eel (as Baitfish)	Open year-round	6 to 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).
Mussels / Clams	CLOSED YEAR-ROUND
Paddlefish	CLOSED YEAR-ROUND
Spotted Gar	CLOSED YEAR-ROUND

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), river herring (alewife and blueback herring) in the Susquehanna River and all its tributaries. River herring also has a closed year-round season with zero daily limit applied to Lehigh River and tributaries, Schuylkill River and tributaries, West Branch Delaware River, Delaware River, Delaware estuary, Delaware River tributaries upstream to the limit of the tidal influence, and Conowingo Reservoir.

**** Lehigh River upstream of the first dam in Easton, Pennsylvania and its tributaries and the 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." It is unlawful to conduct a fishing tournament on the North Branch, West Branch or main stem of the Susquehanna River that allows tournament anglers to harvest bass.

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 Regional Opening Day of Trout Season Program or Approved Trout Waters Open to Year-Round Fishing 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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