It might not look like it right now, but spring is just around the corner and anglers are getting ready for the upcoming 2021 trout season.

The good news for anglers is that the 2021 season will start two weeks earlier than last year. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission announced recently that mentored youth fishing will be held on March 27, 2021, and the statewide trout season will start on April 3rd.

Unfortunately for those who enjoy end of season fishing, all Pennsylvania stocked streams will be closed to fishing beginning on Monday, February 15 until the first day of trout season or youth day in order to allow the fish commission to stock streams for the new season.

Fishing in ponds, lakes, and reservoirs will still be legal after February 15, but it must be “catch and release only,’ meaning you cannot harvest a fish until April 3.

There is also some good news for youth who got their 2020 Voluntary Youth Fishing license last year.

These licenses will remain valid through the 2021 fishing season since last year’s mentored youth fishing day was canceled due to the pandemic.

Unfortunately for those who like to follow the stock trucks and help the Fish Commission officials to stock local streams, many will not be able to do it this year.

This year, the Fish and Boat Commission will only allow existing, previously registered volunteers to help. They also announced that all volunteers must follow COVID protocols of masking and social distancing during the stocking.

Also new this spring for sportsmen is the new HuntFishPa website, a user-friendly licensing platform for hunters, anglers, and boaters in Pennsylvania.

Visitors to HuntFish.pa.gov will find new features like personalized dashboards, auto-renewal for fishing licenses, and the ability to report game and furbearer harvests as required. HuntFishPA replaces the previous Pennsylvania Automatic Licensing System (PALS) platform known as The Outdoor Shop.

This website was designed by both the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to help make information and regulations for both hunting and fishing more streamlined for PA residents and visitors. The website outlines rules, includes calendars for seasons, and details any information you might need on tagging for both fish season and hunting season.