Big Bass Program

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Big Bass Program Special Regulations

These special regulations apply to Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass and Spotted Bass in the waters listed below. Stocked trout waters (lakes) that are in the Big Bass Program are closed to all fishing from February 17 until the opening day of the trout season. This closure does not pertain to stocked trout waters (lakes) open to year-round fishing. For all other species, Commonwealth Inland Waters regulations apply. For the latest information and regulation updates, please visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission website.

Lakes
Season	Minimum Size	Daily Limit
Jan. 1 through April 11 and June 14 through Dec. 31	15 inches	4 (combined species)
April 12 through June 13	NO HARVEST - Catch and immediate release only (no tournaments permitted). NO HARVEST begins at 12:01 a.m.

Waters Governed by these Regulations
County	Water
Allegheny	Upper, Middle and Lower Deer Lakes Closed to fishing from February 17 until 8 a.m. on opening day of trout.
Allegheny	Marshall Lake
Allegheny	North Park Lake
Armstrong	Keystone Lake
Beaver	Bradys Run Lake
Berks	Blue Marsh Lake
Berks	Carsonia Lake
Berks	Hopewell Lake
Berks	Kaercher Creek Dam
Bedford	Shawnee Lake (State Park)
Blair	Canoe Creek Lake (State Park) to include two small ponds and raceway adjacent to Canoe Lake
Bucks	Lake Towhee
Bucks	Nockamixon Lake (State Park)
Butler*	Glade Run Lake
Butler	Lake Arthur (Moraine State Park)
Cambria	Beaverdam Run Reservoir
Cambria	Duman Lake
Cambria	Hinckston Run Reservoir
Cambria	Wilmore Dam

County	Water
Carbon	Mauch Chunk Lake
Centre	Colyer Lake
Chester	Chambers Lake
Chester	Marsh Creek Lake (State Park)
Crawford	Sugar Lake
Crawford*	Tamarack Lake
Cumberland	Opossum Lake
Fayette	Indian Creek Reservoir (Mill Run Reservoir)
Fayette/Westmoreland	Bridgeport Reservoir
Indiana	Yellow Creek Lake (State Park)
Lackawanna	Lackawanna Lake (State Park)
Lancaster	Speedwell Forge Lake
Lehigh	Leaser Lake
Luzerne	Frances Slocum Lake (State Park)
Luzerne	Harris Pond
Luzerne	Lily Lake
Lycoming	Rose Valley Lake
Mercer	Shenango River Lake

County	Water
Monroe/Wayne	Gouldsboro Lake
Montour	Lake Chillisquaque
Perry	Little Buffalo Lake (Holman Lake)
Somerset	Quemahoning Reservoir
Tioga	Lake Nessmuk
Venango	Two Mile Run Reservoir (Justus Lake)
Washington	Cross Creek Lake
Washington	Peters Twp. Lake (Res. #2)
Westmoreland	Indian Lake
Westmoreland	Keystone Lake (State Park)
Westmoreland	Twin Lakes Number One Reservoir (lower)
Westmoreland	Mammoth Dam
Westmoreland	Northmoreland Lake
Westmoreland	Twin Lake Number Two Reservoir (upper)
Wyoming	Stevens Lake
York	Lake Marburg (Codorus State Park)
York	Lake Redman
York	Lake Williams
York	Pinchot Lake (State Park)
* New Addition

Smallmouth Bass and Largemouth Bass – Catch and Release
Counties	Waters	Season/Special Regulations
Cumberland, Dauphin, Juniata, Lancaster, Northumberland, Perry	Susquehanna River (98.0 miles) from the inflatable dam near Sunbury downstream to Holtwood Dam including all tributaries to a point ½ mile upstream from the confluence.	January 1 to December 31: NO HARVEST CATCH AND IMMEDIATE RELEASE ONLY. It is unlawful for an angler to cast repeatedly into a clearly visible bass spawning nest or redd in an effort to catch or take bass as with Commonwealth Inland Waters fishing regulations. From January 1 to April 11 and June 14 to December 31: Catch-measure-immediate release tournaments are permitted. See the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission website for detailed tournament requirements. From April 12 to June 13: No tournaments permitted.
Dauphin, Juniata, Perry	Juniata River (31.7 miles) from SR0075 bridge at Port Royal downstream to the mouth including all tributaries to a point ½ mile upstream from the confluence.

How to Release Fish

Catch and Release

Some waters are managed strictly as “Catch and Release” waters. Minimum size limits require that fish less than the minimum must be released. Creel limits require that fish caught in excess of the limit must be released. Closed seasons require the release of fish species caught during a season when keeping them is not permitted. The number of fish that survive depends on several factors including the length of the fight, where the fish is hooked, water temperature and how the fish is handled and released.

To give fish released the best chance for survival, follow these recommended guidelines:

Use barbless hooks.
Play fish quickly. Try to land your fish as quickly as possible, and don’t play the fish to exhaustion.
Use a landing net.
Keep the fish in the water. The chance of a fish being injured increases the longer it is held out of water.
Wet your hands, net and other materials that may come in contact with the fish.
Hold the fish upside down while removing the hook. This can often pacify the fish and reduce handling time.
Remove hooks quickly. Hemostats or long-nose pliers are essential tools for quickly removing hooks.
Cut the line. When it is not possible to remove the hook without harming the fish, cut the line.
Don’t touch the gills. Do not handle fish by placing your fingers in the gill slits.
Hold the fish upright underwater after hook removal and allow it to swim away under its own power. If necessary, hold the fish out of the current until it revives.
Fish that are bleeding from the mouth or gills due to hook removal do not survive after being released back into the water. Anglers may be charged with violating the Fish and Boat Code by failing to immediately release the fish unharmed. If regulations permit, the angler should keep the fish and have it count towards his or her daily limit.