Pohopoco Creek Class A Regulations

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White8848

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I was on the states website today and saw a post in the fishing report that says the Pohopoco is closed this year until the statewide opener. Last year because it is a class ''A'' wild trout stream you were allowed to fish and practice catch and release until the season opener. Anyone know for sure if they changed the rules? Or is this a typo.

http://www.fishandboat.com/Zone1/Pages/NERegionReports.aspx


""Anglers are reminded that the Pohopoco Creek at the outlet of the Beltzville Lake downstream approximately 2.90 miles to the Hideaway Hunting & Fishing Club is designated as both a Class A Wild Trout Water& Stocked Trout Water. This stream section of the Pohopoco Creek which is governed by the Class A Wild Trout & Stocked Trout Waters regulations and located within the Regular Opening Day of Trout Season is closed to fishing from March 1st to 8 am on the Regular Opening Day of Trout season. The Extended Season from September 05, 2017 through February 28, 2018 is a No Harvest Catch & Release period only. Anglers should consult the 2017 PA Fishing Summary for further information on the listing and regulations pertaining to streams designated as both Class A Wild Trout Streams and Stocked Trout Waters.

On March 2, the pre-season trout stockings will begin in the district with the Pohopoco Creek receiving a trout stocking. This section being stocked is the Class A Wild Trout Water & Stocked Trout Water section and will be closed to any fishing from March 1st to the Regular Opening Day of Trout season at 8 am. Persons wishing to assist with this stocking should meet the stocking truck at the Army Corps of Engineer’s Building, Beltzville State Park at 12:00 pm.""
 
It says in the fine print of the summary book that Class A wild trout streams are open to year round fishing unless the stream is designated as both and Class A and stocked stream in which case it would be closed from March 1, until opening day of trout season.
 
What a joke. Class A wild trout water they are going to try and ruin by putting stockers in there. An absolute disgrace
 
Stocking just the fingerlings as always, or has that changed and they are putting adult fish in too? Usually the fingerling stockings happen later in the spring, no?
 
They have always stocked it with adults. One preseason stocking now and that is it. Last year you could fish it in March though.
 
It's always been stocked with adult trout, but yet it is class a. That tells me that the stockies aren't having much of a negative impact on the wild fish.
 
Thanks for the clarification. Only fish it once or twice a year, and I have only caught wild browns and parr marked bows, which speaks to TYoung's point, I suppose.
 
TYoung wrote:
It's always been stocked with adult trout, but yet it is class a. That tells me that the stockies aren't having much of a negative impact on the wild fish.
Click to expand...

Fishing Creek in the Narrows had a Class A population when it was first sampled, when it was stocked and under general harvest regulations.

Then the management was changed to no stocking, and low harvest regulations. After some years it was sampled again, and once again the population was Class A.

But, the population had tripled.
 
The numbers of stocker cookie cutter Rainbows I've caught in certain sections that were stocked were staggering. A 50 fish day would certainly be obtainable. With that said this stream had a long stretch of 15CFS flows (which is not uncommon) and when that happens their isn't much food or space available to support high numbers of stockers and wild fish. IMHO its a very suppressed Class A wild population.
 
So you are 100 percent certain the population would not triple from its current numbers?
 
Sal "That's not a comparison that I would make." is a much softer statement than "...100 percent certain the population would not triple...". Your statement begs the question: Are you 100 percent certain the wild trout population WOULD triple? It's a

I am no fan of stocking over Class A or B trout streams, but we need to be fair. The Po is a nice stream with good food supply and fairly consistent temps, but it's a tail-water stream, not a limestone stream. The Po is not in the same class as BFC.

Having said that, if space and food supply are, in fact, limiting the wild trout population, then I would agree the wild browns would benefit, perhaps even increase "significantly" in number, if the bows were no longer stocked. However, that's purely conjecture.

Disclosure: I am a big fan of the Po and am in the camp of those who feel it has much untapped potential.
 
No Iam not. This subject has been brought up before and it had statements similar to this:

With that said this stream had a long stretch of 15CFS flows (which is not uncommon) and when that happens their isn't much food or space available to support high numbers of stockers and wild fish. IMHO its a very suppressed Class A wild population.
Click to expand...

So I question if it should be stocked. It sounds to me as though stocked trout could very well be taking available food and space during those times. How many stocked trout displace and kill wild trout? I don't know but neither does anyone else. Until it is tried, examined and the hard facts are out there, EVERYONE not just me is tossing out conjecture.

That was my point nothing more.
 
The question is what is the limiting factor on wild trout populations for that stream? I don't know the answer. If it's food or space, stocked fish hurt wild fish. If it's water temperatures, acidity, amount of appropriate breeding gravel, etc, then they do not, or at least, do to a much lesser degree.

Agree with Mike that the comparison is not one I'd make. BFC is a very different stream than the Po. But that neither means the Po is harmed nor not harmed by stockies, it's just a different stream. I'm not familiar enough with the Po to have a valid opinion.
 
Anyone know how the stocking went with the flows at 36 for the past couple of months?
 
I agree with Mike that the comparison with BFC is not a good one (Freestone/Limestone to Tailwater) other than what typically happens when stocking over wild trout is stopped.

As I see it, the PO suffers from multiple issues. Poor releases/flows from the reservoir, habitat issues in some stretches and affects of stocking. Local pressure is the reason this stream is still stocked. Even still you have Class A trout populations. Clean up those 3 issues and I'm sure one would see some nice improvements to the trout populations.

My $0.2
 
Yes, the Po's habitat is average at best in most sections. It's been stated a million times that the lions share of the trout caught during surveys are caught on the stream edges under vegetation and that the center channel isn't nearly as productive. That's not a good situation. Also the flow rates from the dam are the worst in the state. Yoyo all year long and zero predictabilty. The Po is super unique with almost zero good comparisons.
 
The argument that I have heard from the state, which I do not know if it is true or not. Is that they continue to stock the stream to "protect" the wild fish. The stream gets fished pretty heavily so they believe if the put stocked fish in the stream the casual anglers will end up catching and keeping those fish. Not a great argument in my opinion but just something I've heard.
 
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