Photo by Jim Bedford

Tired of winter yet? The good news is that this spring, Pennsylvania trout anglers will be seeing larger fish.

And that’s a promise!

“Our fish are going to be approximately 30 percent larger by weight,” said Tom Greene, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s Coldwater Unit specialist.

With that prediction in mind, it might be a good idea to tie on a heavier leader and head up to the pristine waters of northeastern Pennsylvania for this year’s opening day of trout season.

Northeastern Pennsylvania provides anglers with excellent public-water trout fishing. Greene said that last spring, low stream flows in this corner of the state created excellent conditions for opening day. With similar luck, anglers heading out to these streams can look forward to yet another productive trout opener in 2007.

Here’s a look at five Northeast Region trout streams where any angler can enjoy some hot action in the cool mornings of early April:

BOWMANS CREEK
According to Rob Wnuk, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s Area 4 fisheries, Bowmans Creek is stocked from the Wyoming-Luzerne county line downstream to Church Road (T-413) in Eatonville, a distance of some 19 miles.

“Small numbers of wild trout -- all three species -- can also be found in Bowmans Creek,” Wnuk said. “And even higher numbers of wild trout are present in its tributaries.”

From Route 292 downstream to Bowmans’ confluence with Marsh Creek (a distance of nearly a mile), fishing is managed under catch-and-release, fly-fishing-only regulations.

Many sections of Bowmans Creek can be waded. But depending on water level, the stream’s currents can be swift at times.

One productive area on Bowmans, and one that almost always remains cool and deep throughout the year, is the section of stream behind the rest stop off state Route 29 in Wyoming County, about a mile upstream from the intersection of Route 292 and state Route 29. There’s plenty of casting and wading room on this stretch of Bowmans near the picnic area.

Fishing pressure can be heavy, especially early in the season, so getting there early is vital to beat the crowd.

State Route 309 provides access to Bowmans’ lower half. State Route 29 provides access around Noxen, as well as farther downstream toward Tunkhannock. Creek access may also be obtained from Route 292, especially because this bridge denotes exactly where the special regulations section on Bowmans begins.

MEHOOPANY CREEK
Not many streams can compare to Mehoopany Creek’s scenic beauty, especially along the creek’s path upstream from state Route 87 in Wyoming County.

According to biologist Wnuk, the creek is stocked for a total of 9.8 miles, from its confluence with Kasson Brook downstream to a point 500 meters downstream from state Route 87.

Wnuk also noted that due to the stream’s acidic water quality in the early spring, the section of Mehoopany Creek from the Kasson Brook tributary downstream to North Fork Mehoopany Creek is stocked with trout in-season only.

If venturing off the main stream in search of some feisty natives sounds good, Mehoopany Creek is where you want to be this month.