Photo by Michael Skinner

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission stocks 59 lakes during January and February under its Early-Season Stocking program. More than half of these lakes are in western region counties. Extended Trout Season rules are in effect, permitting anglers to keep up to three trout at least 7 inches in length or greater daily.

All of Pennsylvania's Approved Trout Waters are open to trout fishing through Feb. 28. Lakes and rivers in the Early-Season Trout-Stocked Waters Program are also open to trout fishing from March 1 through March 31. This special season, which allows trout fishing when most of our trout waters are closed to fishing, provides some of the best ice-fishing of the winter.

Stockings that most affect the ice-fishing season started back in November. Some stockings do not put trout in the water until late February. In order to get the best trout fishing, we should pay attention to stocking dates for both winter and early-season stocking programs. Also, anglers should consider the likelihood of trout holding over from winter stockings, which will largely depend on lake size and depth and also fishing pressure.

HARBOR ACRES LAKE
For example, the first stocking for the Early-Season Program took place Jan. 5 at Harbor Acres Lake in Butler County, more than a month before most other lakes in this program. Trout numbers are knocked down quickly at a small lake like this, located on State Game Lands 95 in northern Butler County off state Route 138 east of West Sunbury.

Three other western Pennsylvania lakes, Brady Run Lake, Lower Hereford Manor Lake and Raccoon Lake, are scheduled for stockings on the last day of January. All are in Beaver County.

Raccoon Lake is the largest of these at 101 acres, which means it has the greatest potential for holding fish over between stockings. This lake is in Raccoon Creek State Park. It can be reached from the west on U.S. Route 22 and U.S. Route 30, or from the north and south on state Route 18, which passes directly through the park.

In addition to trout, Raccoon Lake holds panfish, muskies and bass.

Jig through a series of holes drilled in a direct line from shallower water into deeper water. Establish a pattern that includes trout and sunfish and you can often enjoy reasonably steady action.

Five western Pennsylvania lakes get trout stockings both in the winter and early-season programs. These make great choices for ice-fishing anytime during winter because of the numbers of trout going into these lakes. Of course, there will be some holdover from the first stockings. Also, note that the early-season stockings in these particular lakes take place during the first half of February, so there should be plenty of time for ice-fishing barring an unusually warm winter.

LAKE ROWENA
Lake Rowena was scheduled for stocking last year on Dec. 13 and again on Feb. 14, which should result in good numbers of trout all through the ice-fishing period. However the lake is small, just 13 acres, and shallow, with a maximum depth of about 15 feet, so trout can be caught quickly after stockings.

Lake Rowena is in Cambria County off Route 22 on Lake View Road in Ebensburg.

CLOE LAKE
Cloe Lake is in southern Jefferson County, far enough from Pittsburgh to mean somewhat lighter fishing pressure. It is east of Punxsutawney on state Route 36 and then north at Cloe.