(a) It is
unlawful to take, catch, kill or possess fish except during the seasons
specified in this section. It is not a violation of this section if a fish
caught out of season from water where fishing for other species is lawful is
immediately returned unharmed to the waters from which it was taken.
(b) It is unlawful to take, catch, kill or
possess fish of less than the minimum size specified in this section. It is not
a violation of this section if an undersized fish taken from waters where
fishing is otherwise lawful is immediately returned unharmed to the waters from
which it was taken.
(c) It is
unlawful to take, catch or kill more than 1 day's limit of any species of fish
as specified in the following chart during 1 calendar day. It is unlawful to
possess more than 1 day's limit of any species of fish as specified in the
following chart except under the following circumstances:
(1) A person may possess any number of
lawfully caught fish at the person's residence.
(2) A person who is engaged in a fishing trip
away from home for 2 or more consecutive calendar days may, while transporting
fish from the place where caught to his residence, possess a number of fish
equal to no more than two times the daily creel limit for that species of fish.
In prosecution for violation of this section, it shall be a rebuttable
presumption that a person transporting fish from a fishing site caught all of
the fish during 1 calendar day.
(3)
A fish will not be considered to be caught in violation of this section if it
is immediately returned unharmed to the waters from which it was
taken.
(4) Any fish caught that is
not to be counted in the creel limit shall be immediately released unharmed
into the water from which taken. Except as otherwise provided in §
53.24 or §
63.40 (relating to tournament and
fishing derby permits; and fishing tournaments and fishing derbies), a fish
placed on a stringer, or confined by any type of container, structure or
device, or not returned immediately to the water, will be considered as part of
the daily creel or possession limits. Fish returned to the water shall be
handled carefully and be returned unharmed to the water from which
taken.
(5) Fish may be given to
another person, but the fish shall be counted in the donor's creel limit and
neither donor nor the recipient may kill or possess (while in the act of
fishing) more than the limit allowed.
(d) Except as otherwise provided in this
subpart, the following seasons, sizes and daily limits apply to inland waters
of this Commonwealth and the Youghiogheny Reservoir:
| SPECIES |
SEASONS |
MINIMUM
SIZE |
DAILY LIMIT |
| ALL SPECIES OF TROUT AND SALMON (except
landlocked Atlantic salmon) |
Regular Season: 8 a.m. first Saturday in
April to midnight Labor Day |
7 inches |
5 (combined species)
except areas with special regulations |
| Extended Season: Stocked trout waters 12:01 a.m.
day after Labor Day to midnight the third Monday in February of the following
year. |
7 inches |
3 (combined species), except Class A wild trout
streams, where the daily limit is 0, and areas with special regulations (see
Chapter 65 (relating to special fishing regulations)) |
| AMERICAN EEL |
Open year-round |
9
inches |
25 |
| BASS-Largemouth and Smallmouth and Spotted |
| Lakes: |
January 1 to midnight the day before
first Saturday after April 11 and November 1 to midnight December 31**
|
15 inches |
4 (combined species from all habitats) |
|
12:01 a.m. the first Saturday
after April 11 to 12:01 a.m. the first Saturday after June 11 |
NO HARVEST-Catch and immediate release only (No Tournaments
Permitted) |
| 12:01 a.m. the first Saturday after June 11 to
midnight October 31 |
12 inches |
6 (combined species) |
| BASS-Largemouth and Smallmouth and
Spotted |
January 1 to midnight the day before the second Saturday in
April and October 1 to midnight December 31* |
15 inches |
4
(combined species) |
| 12:01 a.m. the second Saturday in April to 12:01
a.m. the second Saturday in June |
NO HARVEST-Catch and
immediate release only (No Tournaments Permitted) |
| 12:01 a.m. the second Saturday in June to midnight
September 30 |
12 inches |
6 (combined species) |
| MUSKELLUNGE and MUSKELLUNGE HYBRIDS |
Open
year-round |
40 inches |
1 |
| PICKEREL |
18 inches |
4 |
| NORTHERN PIKE |
24 inches |
2 |
| WALLEYE and hybrids (Saugeye) |
January 1-March 14; and 12:01 a.m. first Saturday in May to
midnight, December 31 |
15 inches |
6 |
| SAUGER |
12 inches |
6 |
| AMERICAN SHAD** |
Open year-round |
No
minimum |
3 |
| HICKORY SHAD** |
Closed year-round
|
No minimum |
0 |
| GIZZARD SHAD |
Open year-round |
No
minimum |
50 |
| RIVER HERRING (alewife and blueback herring)**
|
Open year-round |
No minimum |
50 |
| STRIPED BASS and STRIPED BASS/WHITE BASS
HYBRIDS |
Open year-round |
20 inches |
2 (combined
species) |
| SUNFISH, YELLOW PERCH, CRAPPIES, CATFISH, ROCK
BASS, SUCKERS, CARP, WHITE BASS AND OTHER GAMEFISH NOT OTHERWISE
LISTED |
Open year-round |
No minimum |
50 (combined
species) |
| BAIT FISH FISH BAIT except American eel, mud bugs,
mussels/clams and crayfish |
Open year-round |
No
minimum |
50 (combined species) |
| MUD BUGS (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 |
0 |
| PADDLEFISH |
Closed
year-round |
- |
0 |
| CRAYFISH (ALL SPECIES) |
Open
year-round |
50. The head must be immediately removed behind the eyes
upon capture unless used as bait in the water from which taken. |
* Note: Stocked trout waters are closed to all fishing from
the third Monday in February to the second Saturday in April.
** Note: Unlawful to take, catch or kill American shad,
hickory shad and river herring (alewife and blueback herring) in Susquehanna
River and its tributaries. See §
61.4 and
61.7 (relating to Conowingo
Reservoir; and Susquehanna River and tributaries).
Notes
The
provisions of this § 61.1 amended July 18, 1986, effective
7/19/1986, 16 Pa.B. 2644;
amended March 13, 1987, effective 3/14/1987, 17 Pa.B. 1084; amended February 8,
1991, effective 2/9/1991, 21
Pa.B. 498; amended February 12, 1993, effective 2/13/1993, 23 Pa.B. 739; amended March 10,
1995, effective 3/11/1995, 25
Pa.B. 834; amended November 22, 1996, effective 1/1/1997, 26 Pa.B. 5701; amended March 7, 1997,
effective 3/8/1997, 27 Pa.B.
1155; amended October 31, 1997, effective 11/1/1997, 27 Pa.B. 5605; amended October 9,
1998, effective 10/10/1998, 28
Pa.B. 5103; amended July 9, 1999, effective 7/10/1999, 29 Pa.B. 3626; amended August 27,
1999, effective 1/1/2000, 29
Pa.B. 4561; amended February 18, 2000, effective 2/19/2000, 30 Pa.B. 870; amended September 29,
2000, effective 9/30/2000, 30
Pa.B. 5013; amended April 19, 2002, effective 4/20/2002, 32 Pa.B. 1962; amended November 15,
2002, effective 11/16/2002, 32
Pa.B. 5658; amended November 24, 2004, effective 1/1/2005, 34 Pa.B. 6328; amended September 22,
2006, effective 1/1/2007, 36
Pa.B. 5872; amended September 29, 2006, effective 1/1/2007, 36 Pa.B. 5976; amended July 2, 2010,
effective 7/3/2010, 40 Pa.B.
3663; amended December 17, 2010, effective 12/18/2010, 40 Pa.B. 7233; amended October 7,
2011, effective 1/1/2012, 41
Pa.B. 5365; amended July 3, 2014, effective 1/1/2015, 44 Pa.B. 4177; amended August 8, 2014,
effective 8/9/2014, 44 Pa.B.
5336; amended September 19, 2014, effective 1/1/2015, 44 Pa.B. 5969; amended September 25,
2015, effective 1/1/2016, 45
Pa.B. 5788; amended December 10, 2021, effective 1/1/2022, 51 Pa.B. 7691 and
7697.
The provisions of this § 61.1 issued under the Fish
and Boat Code,
30 Pa.C.S. §§
741,
928 and
2102; amended under the
Fish and Boat Code,
30 Pa.C.S. §§
2102 and
5122-5124; and section 506 of
The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. §
186).
This section cited in 58 Pa. Code §
61.2 (relating to Delaware River,
West Branch Delaware River and River Estuary); 58 Pa. Code §
61.7 (relating to Susquehanna
River and tributaries); 58 Pa. Code §
61.8 (relating to Lehigh River,
Schuylkill River and tributaries); 58 Pa. Code §
63.3 (relating to fishing in
stocked trout waters); 58 Pa. Code §
63.48 (relating to permit for the
use of cast nets or throw nets); 58 Pa. Code §
65.24 (relating to miscellaneous
special regulations); and 58 Pa. Code §
69.12 (relating to seasons, sizes
and creel limits-Lake Erie, Lake Erie tributaries and Presque Isle Bay
including peninsula waters).
