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Fisheries

 
A Fishery consists of three elements:
    • the animals that are being pursued
    • the habitat in which the animals live
    • the people who are pursuing the animals for either sport or commercial purposes
Pennsylvania is fortunate to have vast water resource comprised of more than 86,000 miles of streams and rivers, along with 4,000 inland lakes and ponds covering 160,000 acres, plus 470,000 acres of Lake Erie.

Within the PA Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC), the Division of Fisheries Management, Bureau of Fisheries, oversees PFBC efforts in the management of Pennsylvania fisheries.

Listed below are Commission reports related to fisheries management.

Surveys of fish populations of individual streams and lakes are posted within the Biologist Reports section of our website. View mapping of PA waters on our County Guide and PA Lakes pages. Other resources include Trout Water Classifications, Habitat Improvement and Lake Habitat Improvement.

FISHERIES REPORTS

 

​Title County​ ​Primary Water ​Primary Species ​Year*
​Trout Plan Statewide​ ​Multiple Trout​ 2016​
​Youghiogheny River Management Plan Multiple​ Youghiogheny River​ -​ 2015​
Lehigh River Fish Passage Feasibility Study​ (PDF) ​Multiple ​Lehigh River ​Trout ​2013
​Strategic Plan for Management of Trout Fisheries in Pennsylvania 2010 - 2014, Final Status Report (PDF) Statewide ​ ​Multiple ​Trout ​2013
​Tail Water Workgroup – Fisheries Committee presentation (PDF) ​Statewide ​Multiple ​- ​2012
​Susquehanna River Impairment ​Multiple ​Susquehanna River ​Bass ​2012
​Big Spring Creek Management Plan ​Cumberland ​Big Spring Creek ​Trout ​2012
​Pine Creek Fisheries Management Plan ​Multiple ​Pine Creek ​- ​2011
​Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Action Plan: Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) (PDF) ​Statewide ​Multiple ​- ​2011
​Walleye fisheries management plan ​Statewide ​Multiple ​Walleye ​2011
​The Fishery of Spring Creek: A Watershed Under Siege (PDF) ​Centre ​Spring Creek ​Trout ​2011
​Three Rivers Management Plan ​Multiple ​Multiple ​- ​2011
​Susquehanna River Management Plan ​Multiple ​Susquehanna River ​- ​2011
​Delaware River Management Plan ​Multiple ​Delaware River ​- ​2011
​Shad reports – listed on Shad feature page ​Statewide ​Multiple ​Shad ​2011
​Unassessed Waters Initiative ​Statewide ​Multiple ​Trout ​2011
​Flexible Flow Management for Delaware River (PDF) ​Multiple ​Delaware River ​- ​2010
​History of the Management of Trout Fisheries in Pennsylvania (PDF) ​Statewide ​Multiple ​Trout ​2010
​Susquehanna smallmouth bass management ​Multiple ​Susquehanna River ​Bass ​2010
​Strategic Plan for Management of Trout Fisheries in Pennsylvania 2010 - 2014 (PDF) ​Statewide ​Multiple ​Trout ​2010
​Stocked trout program cost study 2009 (PDF) Appendices (PDF) ​Statewide ​Multiple ​Trout ​2009
​Operational Guidelines for the Management of Trout Fisheries in Pennsylvania Waters (PDF) ​Statewide ​Multiple ​Trout ​2009
​Susquehanna River walleye fishery (PDF) ​Multiple ​Susquehanna River ​Walleye ​2008
​PA Trout Fishing Survey - Responsive Management (PDF) ​Statewide ​Multiple ​Trout ​2008
​Lehigh River Management Plan ​Multiple ​Lehigh River ​- ​2007
​Aquatic Biological Investigation in Response to the June 30, 2006, Norfolk Southern Train Derailment and Sodium Hydroxide Release (PDF) ​Multiple ​Sinnamahoning Creek ​- ​2006
​Factors Influencing Smallmouth Bass Year-Class Strength and Future Smallmouth Bass Fisheries (PDF) ​Statewide ​Multiple ​Bass ​2006
​Catch & Release Fishing; Effects on Bass Populations (PDF) ​Statewide ​Multiple ​Bass ​2006
​Tournament Catch Report Synopsis, 2004 (PDF) ​Statewide ​Multiple ​Bass ​2004
​Delaware River journal (WORD) ​Multiple ​Delaware River ​- ​-
​Wildlife Action Plan ​Statewide ​Multiple ​- ​-
​Lehigh River Angler Log Book (PDF) ​Multiple ​Lehigh River ​- ​-
*Year can be published or posted date or year of latest update.