Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton Park Manager Tyson Martin stocks trout in Chapman Lake last December.

As summer fades, many start looking ahead to fall trout fishing.

The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission is taking steps to enhance those opportunities throughout the state.

Starting Oct. 1 and running through mid-December, Fish & Boat will be stocking approximately 120,000 hatchery raised rainbow, brown and brook trout in over 100 streams and lakes.

Locally, that will include a stocking the week of Dec. 7-12 at Chapman Lake.

It also includes an Oct. 5-10 stocking at Oil Creek in Venango County between the Petroleum Center Bridge and the Columbia Farm Railroad Bridge, one of the region’s premier trout streams.

According to Fish & Boat, these stockings will replenish some of the most popular fishing spots across the Commonwealth immediately and provide ice fishing opportunities as conditions allow throughout the winter.

“Fall can be one of the most scenic and enjoyable times of year to spend a day fishing, and we’re excited to provide a special opportunity for those anglers who love fishing for trout,”Brian Wisner, Director of the PFBC Bureau of Hatcheries, said. “Pennsylvania is fortunate to have some of the best wild trout fishing waters in the country, as well as the high-quality fish we’ve been raising at our hatcheries to deliver fresh fishing opportunities to people across the state.”

All of the typical 2020 stockings were merged and trout season was opened early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The public was not able to participate as has been the case for many years.

Public participation will also not be permitted for these fall and winter stockings and the Commission is just releasing a week that a stocking will take place rather than providing specific days. Stockings will only occur on weekdays, though.

“This measure aims to provide some stocking information while continuing to discourage large gatherings planned around specific stocking events,” the Commission said in a statement.