Trout season opening Saturday

BY KEVIN WOODRUFF

Trout fishermen will take to the waters en-masse on Saturday morning for the chance at reeling in a whopper trout.

That’s because it’s the official opening of the 2012 trout season in the region, and according to Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Waterways Conservation Officer Kadin Thompson, opening day looks promising.

While the water is not quite as high as it would normally be in a normal spring because of snow melt, Thompson said cool nighttime temperatures have been keeping the waterways cool enough for the trout to feel comfortable.

And on top of that, since the PFBC got a late start in stocking the streams with trout this year, trout will be stocked in streams right up until the day the season opens.

“We got a later start this year,” Thompson said. “So fish will be stocked closer to opening day than usual.”

While the fish should be readily available for anglers, the landscapes fishermen travel may have a slightly different look to them.

This will certainly be the case in areas of the county that were affected by last September’s flooding.

“It will certainly be different in some areas,” Thompson said. “The flooding has created a lot of steep stream banks.”

He also noted that there will still be some debris in the water that anglers should look out for.

“There could be some sharp objects in the creek left over from the flooding,” Thompson said. “People just need to be careful.”

However, in the area there is no shortage of places to cast a line.

InWyomingCounty, Thompson recommends a few different places based on what kind of fishing experience a person wants.

For the angler who wants a shore fishing experience at a lake, Thompson recommends Oxbow Lake, but if the angler wants a boat fishing experience at a lake, Thompson saidLakeWinolais the place to go.

Anglers looking to take on a small stream environment should head to Bowmans Creek or to the south branch of the Tunkhannock Creek.

InSusquehannaCounty, some hot spots include Snake Creek and Fall Brook along with Salt Lick Creek for a small creek fishing experience, while those looking to cast a line in a lake can visitQuakerLake.

Overall, Thompson thinks it should be a good first weekend of trout fishing in northeast PA, especially if the weather stays the way it has been the past few weeks.

“The amount of people that come out on opening day is all according to weather,” Thompson said. “If we have a nice day, I expect a lot of people to be out fishing.”