UPPER DELAWARE RIVER VALLEY — As of this weekend, trout fishing is back on the agenda for outdoor enthusiasts throughout the region.

In New York, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced an April 1 start for the spring trout fishing season. 

For decades, April 1 was the traditional “opening day” of inland trout fishing season. Year-round fishing was greenlit on most streams in 2021, with the implementation of an Oct. 16 to March 31 season for artificial lures and catch-and-release, but April 1 still holds a “special meaning for anglers in New York” as the start of the harvest season, said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos.  

The Pennsylvania trout season opens on April 1 as well, running from April 1 at 8 a.m. through September 4, according to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Stocked trout waters have an extended season of January 1 through February 19 and September 5 through December 31. 

For more information on New York’s trout fishing regulations, visit www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/fishing.html. For more information on Pennsylvania’s trout fishing regulations, visit www.fishandboat.com/Fishing/All-About-Fish/Catch-PA-Fish/Trout/Pages/default.aspx.

The River Reporter will publish its annual Fish section as part of the April 6 to 12 issue, available next week on newsstands and online.