Rainbow Trout in Pennsylvania
rainbow trout under the 2026 Summary.
- 5 (combined species)limit
- 15 lb 6 ozrecord
Pick for rainbow troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of the species, not a Pennsylvania water: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0
A Pennsylvania profile of rainbow trout
Under PFBC rules Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is game fish, covered by 4 water classes. Inland, on commonwealth inland waters (all waters not under lake erie, pymatuning, conowing, the rule is 5 (combined species), streams, lakes and ponds; minimum 7 inches; season regular season: april 4 at 8 a.m. through sept. 7 (statewide opening day).
The state record weighed 15 lb 6 oz, caught by Dennis L. Clouse at Jordan Creek in 1986. 2,368,045 adult rainbow trout are planned for 2026 waters, spread over 2,466 scheduled stockings.
For the rainbow trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Rigging for rainbow trout in Pennsylvania
- Cold clear lakes and streams, and some riversFound in
- Minnows, worms, salmon eggs, corn, cheese, prepared baits fished on light wire hook drifted on the bottomOn the hook
- Spinners and small crankbaitsLures
- 2-8 lb. testLine
- 6-14Hook size
- 1/32 to 1/8 oz.Lure size
- Mid-daySpring
- Early morning, Early eveningSummer
From the PFBC Catch PA Fish page for this species, retrieved October 23, 2026.
Creel and season table for Pennsylvania rainbow trout
| Water class | Where | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth inland waters | Commonwealth inland waters (all waters not under Lake Erie, Pymatuning, Conowingo or Delaware River and Estuary rules or | 5 (combined species), streams, lakes and ponds; minimum 7 inches | Regular season: April 4 at 8 a.m. through Sept. 7 (statewide opening day) |
| Commonwealth inland waters | Stocked trout waters (extended season) | 3 (combined species); minimum 7 inches | Jan. 1 through Feb. 15 and Sept. 8 through Dec. 31 |
| Commonwealth inland waters | Waters not managed as stocked trout waters (extended season) | NO HARVEST – catch and immediate release only | Jan. 1 through Feb. 15 and Sept. 8 through Dec. 31 |
| Conowingo Reservoir (Susquehanna River boundary) | Conowingo Reservoir up to Holtwood Dam | 2 (combined species) | Open year-round |
| Delaware River and estuary | Delaware River, West Branch Delaware River, Delaware River tributaries to the limit of tidal influence, and the Lehigh R | 1 (combined species); minimum 14 inches | April 4 at 8 a.m. through Oct. 15 |
| Delaware River and estuary | Delaware River, West Branch Delaware River, Delaware River tributaries to the limit of tidal influence, and the Lehigh R | 5 (combined species) | April 4 at 8 a.m. through Oct. 15 |
| Delaware River and estuary | West Branch Delaware River | 2 (combined species); minimum 12 inches | April 4 at 8 a.m. through Oct. 15 |
| Lake Erie tributaries | All Lake Erie tributary streams | No daily limit | Closed to fishing or possessing trout from 12:01 a.m. April 3 until 8 a.m. April 4 (32 hours) |
2026 Pennsylvania Fishing Summary (PA Fish and Boat Commission; in effect or proposed as of October 1, 2025, PDF revised February 27, 2026), page 10 to 14. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
Pennsylvania record rainbow trout
| Entry | Weight | Angler | Water | County | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trout, Rainbow | 15 lb 6 oz | Dennis L. Clouse | Jordan Creek | Lehigh | 1986 |
| Trout, Golden Rainbow | 13 lb 8 oz | Eli Borger | Mahoning Creek Lake | Schuylkill | 2008 |
PFBC State Record Fish page, retrieved October 23, 2026; records are kept by weight only.
Planned rainbow trout releases by water
PFBC adult and fingerling trout stocking schedules and warmwater/coolwater current year stockings, retrieved October 23, 2026; PFBC prints dates but no per-event numbers.
Keystone lakes and creeks holding rainbow trout
Lake pages naming rainbow trout
- Shenango River Lake3,559 acres
- Youghiogheny River Lake2,840 acres
- East Branch Clarion River Lake1,161 acres
- Yellow Creek Lake720 acres
- Middle Creek Reservoir361 acres
- Beaverdam Run Reservoir360 acres
- Woodcock Creek Lake325 acres
- Mahoning Creek Lake279 acres
- Koon Lake233 acres
- Lackawanna Lake198 acres
- Lake Winola198 acres
- Lower Lake173 acres
- Fairview Lake169 acres
- Frances Slocum Lake166 acres
- Lily Lake161 acres
- Kettle Creek Lake160 acres
- Canoe Creek Lake155 acres
- Two Mile Run Reservoir144 acres
- George B. Stevenson Reservoir142 acres
- Quaker Lake127 acres
- Leaser Lake117 acres
- Hunters Lake117 acres
- Minsi Lake115 acres
- Hinckston Run Reservoir104 acres
Stream pages naming rainbow trout
- Allegheny RiverPotter County
- West Branch Susquehanna RiverCambria County
- Schuylkill RiverSchuylkill County
- Youghiogheny RiverSomerset County
- Lehigh RiverMonroe County
- Loyalhanna CreekWestmoreland County
- French Creek, Crawford CountyCrawford County
- Conodoguinet CreekFranklin County
- Pine Creek, Tioga CountyTioga County
- Lackawaxen RiverPike County
- Slippery Rock CreekLawrence County
- Tenmile CreekWashington County
- Connoquenessing CreekButler County
- Conococheague CreekFranklin County
- Yellow Breeches CreekCumberland County
- Shenango RiverMercer County
- Redbank CreekArmstrong County
- Pequea CreekLancaster County
PFBC species listings, Class A and stocked trout layers, the 2026 stocking schedule and state records; largest waters first.
Booking a Keystone guide for rainbow trout
- Spookintrout, Llcfishing guide, Gettysburg, (717) 752-0600
- Trout Yeah Llcfishing guide, Gibsonia, (412) 805-5970
- Trout Yeahfishing guide, Pittsburgh, (412) 620-3443
- Trout Boomerfishing guide, Altoona, (814) 569-8843
- Juniata Troutfittersfishing guide, Juniata River, Tyrone, (814) 574-9152
- Troutbitten, Llcfishing guide, Lemont, (814) 574-1773
- Trout Hippie Guide Servicefishing guide, Camp Hill, (717) 421-3411
- Brown Trout Addictionfishing guide, Kersey, (814) 512-7891
Fish that share rules with rainbow trout
- Brook Troutgame fish
- Brown Troutgame fish
- Lake Troutgame fish
- Largemouth Bassgame fish
- Smallmouth Bassgame fish
- Spotted Bassgame fish
- Rock Bassgame fish
- Striped Bassgame fish
- White Bassgame fish
- Bluegillgame fish
- Pumpkinseedgame fish
- Redbreast Sunfishgame fish
Ridges, rivers and lakes around Rainbow Trout, pictured
Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ameer Attia, CC BY 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: VitaleBaby, Public domain
Questions on catching rainbow trout in Pennsylvania
What size limit covers rainbow trout in Pennsylvania?
5 (combined species), streams, lakes and ponds; minimum 7 inches on commonwealth inland waters (all waters not under lake erie, pymatuning, conowing, season regular season: april 4 at 8 a.m. through sept. 7 (statewide opening day); other water classes have their own rows.
Who holds the Pennsylvania rainbow trout record?
15 lb 6 oz from Jordan Creek in Lehigh County, caught by Dennis L. Clouse in 1986.
Which pages name rainbow trout?
746 water pages here list it, led by Shenango River Lake, Youghiogheny River Lake and East Branch Clarion River Lake.
Is rainbow trout on the 2026 stocking lists?
Yes; the 2026 plan calls for 2,368,045 adult fish and the schedule lists 2,466 stocking rows.
Which Latin binomial does the PFBC print for rainbow trout?
Oncorhynchus mykiss; listed as game fish.
Can I fish for rainbow trout all year in Pennsylvania?
Regular season: April 4 at 8 a.m. through Sept. 7 (statewide opening day) on commonwealth inland waters (all waters not under lake erie, pymatuning, conowing.
How much does a license for rainbow trout cost?
Fishing for trout here needs a trout permit ($14.97) on top of the license ($27.97 resident, $60.97 nonresident).
Is there a guide for rainbow trout here?
8 listings mention it, among them Spookintrout, Llc.