Anyone looking to do some trouting in PA would be well served to take a look at this page ( http://www.fishandboat.com/Fish/PennsylvaniaFishes/Trout/Pages/TroutWaterClassifications.aspx ) . The fish commission, over the last few years has done a great job of cataloging streams with wild trout. They’ve produce a few very useful lists that list Class A streams, and also Streams that support natural reproduction. In addition they have an interactive mapping system that you can customize to show just the stream classifications that you want (e.g., class A or stocked… etc)
The highest rating is Class A of course - but I have had really nice fishing on streams that are not Class A.
Armed with the resources on the page plus google maps and DeLorme gazetteer you’ll have years of exploring ahead of you.
And if you stay away from the stocked streams - you will be all by yourself 99% of the time. I have run into a total of 2 anglers over the last 4 or 5 years as I’ve been exploring the wild streams in SW Pennsylvania - except for the one day I mangaged to get to a wild stream that also gets stocked on the same day as the stocking truck… however simply walking above where they stock got me all alone again
Thanks for the tip Anthony. I’ve been thinking of coming down there for a weekend for a couple of years now. It seems each year I get so absorbed into exploring something new here that I put it off and tell myself I’ll do it another year.
#jealous. AL has no wild trout. GA has enough, but it takes a lot of work to get to most of them, not to mention i’m 3-4hrs from most of the (wild) trout in GA.
I know some folks do get really touchy about any streams being mentioned - but really I have honestly run into two guys in about five years - and they were together.
Honestly - if a stocking truck wasn’t there that week (or day) then there are no anglers - The wild creeks are pretty lonely … with the exception of those better known streams like Spring Creek and the like…
I don’t want to see hordes of anglers - but there are lots of nice streams to spread them out -
It is a double edged sword though - the fewer people out there the easier it is to fish alone and not be crowded but at the same time the fewer anglers the fewer that care about the resource - the easier it becomes for it to be lost …
It’s definitely a double-edged sword in terms of needing enough people to love the resource. But honestly, there’s nothing worse than pulling into your favorite spot and seeing another car with a TU sticker on it has already beaten you there!
We are lucky here in PA - and frankly a lot of folks have no idea of the richness - especially all of the native/wild streams. Last year my father and I were fishing for wild trout in a town park - catching dozens of fish. A resident of the town is looking at us - and he’s like “Are there fish in there?” He lived there his whole life and didn’t know.
I believe that PA has more miles of trout streams than any other state in the lower 48…
Many of them are small native brookie streams though - which is fin by me. Though the small stream brookies are not picky per se … the small stream trouting has plenty of challenges and I think many guys aren’t up to the stealth and tight casting conditions required. Hence the lack of other anglers…