Unlike some trout-rich states, Pennsylvania doesn't shut down its salmonid fishing in February. It utilizes a host of year-round programs, including Catch and Release areas, Trophy Trout Projects, Delayed Harvest sites and Approved Waters Open to Year-Round Fishing -- so that trout angling in February can be as richly rewarding as any other month.

Later in March, anglers can also work the state's select Early-Season Trout Stocked Waters.

Of course, any discussion of February trouting must acknowledge the conditions you might face when fishing these sites. This month, there's the strong probability that above Interstate Route 80, most waters will still be frozen and that ice-fishing will be the name of the game.

If the past three years indicate what conditions we can expect this season, then the lakes in the state's northeast corner have the strongest chance of remaining frozen through a substantial part of the month.

At the same time, while February may offer a few days of frozen fishing in the state's southeast corner, a wise gambler would expect mostly open water in the flatland region south of Blue Mountain.

During any part of February, however -- especially during a cold snap -- skim ice can cover many southeastern Pennsylvania lakes.

Skim ice isn't good for real ice-fishermen, nor for boaters who need to break their way through the stuff to reach open water.

As far as trout numbers go, anglers planning to get in on some hot lake action would be smart to select impoundments that have been stocked since the beginning of December.

This late-season stocking generally ensures the presence of trout both before and after Valentine's Day.

But for you to be really certain that a lake holds trout in February, I'd suggest fishing those waters listed under the state's Winter Trout Stocking Program, which are stocked from late January into February.

In my own unofficial count, on the eastern side of the state there are 14 lakes in that category -- sites that will be stocked during the first two months of 2009.

Of course, all the waters listed below are subject to changes in regulations and stocking dates. For example, in its own recent review of Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulations for year-round trout angling, the "commission staff discovered that this special regulation program was never formally adopted by the commission."

In other words, the program didn't legally exist! With that in mind, it's tough for us regular anglers to keep up with what's official or not.

Nevertheless, here are some of the best February trout waters on the eastern side of the state:

Upper Woods Pond
The truly deep Upper Woods Pond in Wayne County won't be stocked until Feb. 25. At that time, anglers are likely to experience a host of conditions from solid, walkable ice to thin sheets of skim ice -- or even completely open water. In some years, PFBC personnel needed to cut through the ice with chain saws to deliver a load of trout to this 90-acre lake, while at other times, it was a simple drive-and-drop maneuver.

But even if you visit Upper Woods Pond before the late February stocking, you're likely to find some trout hovering in its placid depths.