NOTICES

FISH AND BOAT COMMISSION

Proposed Changes to List of Class A Wild Trout Waters; July 2023

[53 Pa.B. 2815]
[Saturday, May 20, 2023]

 Under 58 Pa. Code § 57.8a (relating to Class A wild trout streams), it is the Fish and Boat Commission's (Commission) policy to manage self-sustaining Class A wild trout populations as a renewable natural resource to conserve that resource and the angling it provides. Class A wild trout populations represent the best of this Commonwealth's naturally reproducing trout fisheries. With rare exceptions, the Commission manages these stream sections solely for the perpetuation of the wild trout fishery with no stocking.

 (1) Criteria developed for Class A Wild Trout fisheries are species specific.

 (2) Wild Trout Biomass Class Criteria include provisions for:

 (i) Wild Brook Trout Fisheries

 (A) Total brook trout biomass of at least 30 kg/ha (26.7 lbs/acre).

 (B) Total biomass of brook trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (C) Brook trout biomass must comprise at least 75% of the total trout biomass.

 (ii) Wild Brown Trout Fisheries

 (A) Total brown trout biomass of at least 40 kg/ha (35.6 lbs/acre).

 (B) Total biomass of brown trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (C) Brown trout biomass must comprise at least 75% of the total trout biomass.

 (iii) Mixed Wild Brook and Brown Trout Fisheries

 (A) Combined brook and brown trout biomass of at least 40 kg/ha (35.6 lbs/acre).

 (B) Total biomass of brook trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (C) Total biomass of brown trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (D) Brook trout biomass must comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.

 (E) Brown trout biomass must comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.

 (iv) Wild Rainbow Trout Fisheries

 Total biomass of rainbow trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 2.0 kg/ha (1.78 lbs/acre).

 (v) Mixed Wild Brook and Rainbow Trout Fisheries

 (A) Combined brook and rainbow trout biomass of at least 40 kg/ha (35.6 lbs/acre).

 (B) Total biomass of brook trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (C) Total biomass of rainbow trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (D) Brook trout biomass shall comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.

 (E) Rainbow trout biomass shall comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.

 (vi) Mixed Wild Brown and Rainbow Trout Fisheries

 (A) Combined brown and rainbow trout biomass of at least 40 kg/ha (35.6 lbs/acre).

 (B) Total biomass of brown trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (C) Total biomass of rainbow trout less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) in total length of at least 0.1 kg/ha (0.089 lbs/acre).

 (D) Brown trout biomass shall comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.

 (E) Rainbow trout biomass shall comprise less than 75% of the total trout biomass.

 During recent surveys, Commission staff documented the following stream sections to have Class A wild trout populations. The Commission intends to consider adding these waters to its list of Class A wild trout streams at its meeting on July 24, 2023.

County	Stream	Section	Limits	Tributary to	Mouth Lat/Lon	Brook Trout (kg/ha)	Brown Trout (kg/ha)	Rainbow Trout (kg/ha)	Length (miles)	Survey Year
Clinton	Unnamed tributary (UNT) to East Branch Queens Run (RM 2.39)	1	Headwaters to Mouth	East Branch Queens Run	41.206816 77.454159	32.39	—	—	3.09	2022
Fulton	Meredith Run	1	Headwaters to Mouth	Laurel Fork	40.084730 78.157142	41.56	—	—	2.17	2019
Luzerne	Huntington Creek	3	Grassy Pond Road to Henrico Road	Fishing Creek	41.104722 76.361389	6.80	44.21	—	3.50	2022
Schuylkill	UNT to Little Schuylkill River (RM 12.99)	1	Headwaters to Mouth	Little Schuylkill River	40.706879 75.999794	31.42	—	—	1.64	2022
Schuylkill	UNT to Little Schuylkill River (RM 19.70)	1	Headwaters to Mouth	Little Schuylkill River	40.755913 75.947678	39.95	7.30	—	2.69	2022

 Persons with comments, objections or suggestions concerning the classification of the streams listed may submit them in writing to the Executive Director, Fish and Boat Commission, P.O. Box 67000, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000, within 30 days after publication of this notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Comments, objections or suggestions may also be submitted electronically to RA-pfbcregulations@pa.gov.

TIMOTHY D. SCHAEFFER, 
Executive Director

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 23-685. Filed for public inspection May 19, 2023, 9:00 a.m.]

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