While I figure this will eventially lead to a statewide earlier opener, for the time being; from the PFBC:

The season will start earlier for the state?s most popular gamefish in 18 counties beginning in 2007. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) today adopted new regulations that will open trout season about two weeks earlier in the southeastern and southcentral parts of the state, effective next year.

Under the new regulation, all waters in Adams, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill and York counties will begin the first Saturday after March 28.

Currently, the statewide opening day for the Pennsylvania trout season is established as the first Saturday after April 11. So in 2007, the trout season will begin March 31 in the 18-county region while the rest of the state will see trout season open April 14.

?Starting the trout season earlier in parts of Pennsylvania expands fishing opportunities and improves our stocking and management efforts,? said PFBC Executive Director Doug Austen. ?Opening Day has long been a time of great anticipation for anglers. This change, along with stocking trout statewide that are 30% larger on average, promises to add more excitement in 2007 to an already popular pursuit.?

Differences exist in climate across Pennsylvania and the time frame for providing optimum conditions for trout angling during the spring is earlier in portions of southern Pennsylvania. Warmer temperatures there provide conditions better suited for trout angling at an earlier time in the spring. However, these same warming conditions also can limit trout angling opportunities by mid-spring. The combination of a mid-April opening day and the potential for these waters to become too warm for trout angling by mid-May constricts the amount of time that trout angling can be provided.

Another issue that an earlier opening day in southeastern Pennsylvania addresses is the potential for movement of stocked trout prior to opening day, as well as the fact that some fish die between the time of stocking and opening day. The staggered opening days will provide the opportunity to stock trout in southeastern Pennsylvania earlier for the earlier opening day and shift the stocking to the other regions for the later opening day. This will effectively help to shorten the times between stocking and opening day throughout the state.

In a related move, the Commission made adjustments to regulations for possessing a trout/salmon permit, notably amending the rules so that any person fishing in streams and rivers that are approved trout waters from March 1 through May 31 must possess and display a valid permit. This change was necessitated by the earlier opening day and also reflects the period when the Commission is most actively stocking trout.


[This message has been edited by Bamboozle (edited 18 July 2006).]