It's about trout time: What anglers need to know for Pennsylvania's 2025 fishing season opener

Pennsylvania’s 2025 trout season kicks off April 5 at 8 a.m., with anglers allowed to keep five fish daily as long as they are 7 inches or longer. If you’re getting psyched for the season, here’s what you need to know.

A week before the trout season opener, children have the first opportunity to angle for trout, but in conditions that are much less crowded than the regular, statewide opening day. Pennsylvania’s 2025 Mentored Trout Fishing Day is set for Saturday, 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m., and is only open to anglers ages 15 and under fishing with a properly licensed adult angler age 16 or older.

To take part in the mentored day, all youth must have either a free Mentored Youth Fishing Permit, or a Voluntary Youth License that costs $2.97. Last year, 31,604 Mentored Youth Fishing Permits were issued, while 8,430 Voluntary Youth Fishing Licenses were purchased.

“Mentored Youth Trout Fishing Day continues to be very popular, and has held steady throughout the years with about the same number of people out there,” Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission spokesman Michael Parker said. “One thing to remember, check the stocking schedule online at fishandboat.com in advance of going fishing, because not all waters are stocked ahead of Mentored Youth Day.

“Just because a waterway was stocked last year ahead of the day doesn’t mean it will be this year. Set yourself up for success by finding a water that is stocked in advance, and keeping the spirit of the day in mind, which is to teach kids to fish and give them a positive experience.”

While the goal of the Mentored Youth Day is to get the kids, grandkids and other youth out on the water to teach them to fish, a bonus is that mentored youth can also keep a fish or two for the dinner plate. For 2025, the day’s limit is two fish 7 inches or longer.

“One of the more positive things I’ve noticed is that youth anglers have been mainly catching and releasing fish,” said Lehigh County Waterways Conservation Officer Travis Miller said. “The mentality from youth anglers is if I release it today, I can catch it again next week.”

They are undoubtedly the star of the show, and this year approximately 3.2 million trout are being stocked in 691 streams and 130 lakes across the commonwealth. Fish and Boat says this includes roughly 2.4 million rainbow trout, 693,000 brown trout and 125,000 brook trout. In addition, another 1.2 million trout raised by commission cooperative nurseries, run by sportsmen’s clubs, will be released throughout the year.

“We stocked a lot of nice lively rainbow trout and several large golden rainbow trout,” said Northampton County Waterways Conservation Officer Zachary Rudd. “The size of the fish is average for what we have stocked in years past.”

There’s no doubt that catching a big fish or a golden rainbow trout makes an angler’s day. This year, the Fish and Boat Commission will be stocking about 72,000 trophy-sized brood fish ages 2.5 to 3.5 years old, with those trout ranging from 14-20 inches in size. A few will be even bigger. Approximately 70% of these larger fish will be released prior to opening day, with the other 30% going out during in-season stockings.

Also called palominos by anglers, the golden rainbow trout are often easy to see in streams but not easy to haul in, since many anglers toss their enticements at them once spotted. However, if you are fortunate to bring one in, you may have just caught the trophy of a lifetime.

For 2025, Fish and Boat is releasing approximately 14,000 golden rainbow trout in waters across the state, with 75% of these stocked before opening day.

Trout fishing license sale continues to remain steady, with 767,079 fishing licenses and 419,054 trout stamps sold in 2024. The cost for an annual license this year is $27.97 for residents and $60.97 for non-residents while a trout permit costs $14.97.

“Sales are slightly higher — about 1% — than 2019, which is the pre-COVID benchmark we compare license sales to,” Parker said. “Because 2020 and 2021 license sales were significantly higher due to COVID, when people were seeking more outdoor recreation, we use 2019 as the ‘normal’ license sales year to compare future sales to.

“We are fortunate to see those numbers hold steady, and we think people are continuing to purchase fishing licenses and trout permits because they see the tremendous value for a year’s worth of fishing opportunities in Pennsylvania.”

How to avoid the crowds

If you love trout fishing but don’t love the crowds of opening day, it’s easy to get away from the masses. The simplest way is to wait until the afternoon to head out. Sure, there are fewer easy-picking hatchery trout swimming around, but you’re also fighting fewer people at the holes.

“Many people like to be out for the actual opener at 8 o’clock,” Rudd said. “Generally speaking, those who are there from the start fish for a few hours, then pack up to head to whatever else is on the agenda for the day.

“If someone was willing to give up the tradition of being on the stream at 8, they could have a leisurely breakfast at home and head out to hit the stream around lunchtime or even that evening and avoid many of the crowds.”

Another option is to fish a waterway that is less popular, smaller or in a more remote area. These types of streams and creeks definitely tend to draw lighter crowds than the larger waters closer to the Lehigh Valley’s population core such as the Little Lehigh, Jordan, Monocacy and Bushkill creeks.

If you are not fishing with little kids, try getting away from the easily accessible spots adjacent to parks and roads and work your way upstream or downstream. In many cases, Fish and Boat staff and the volunteers who help them stock the creeks and streams try to spread the fish out beyond the easy-to-reach holes.

“The creeks are stocked very well this year,” Miller said. “More streams have been float-stocked and we spread the fish out pretty well.”

Finally, if you don’t need to go out on the opening day and you actually prefer to fish in solitude, wait until the first few days have passed or venture out later in the season.

“The trout fishing opportunities are abundant well into late April and May,” Rudd said. “It seems like trout fishing is popular up until the point spring yardwork takes over. For those who remember and can spare the time away from the spring yardwork, there are plenty of opportunities later in the spring.”

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