Boating and fishing activity continues to be up across the Commonwealth.

Likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a surge in licenses this spring and summer and that has continued into the fall.

The update was provided by Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission Executive Director Tim Schaeffer during this week’s commission meeting.

Compared to fall 2019, there has been an 20 percent increase in fishing license sales.

“The more than 970,000 licensed anglers in Pennsylvania this year are the most in nearly 25 years,” he said, “and we have never had so many people paddling in kayaks and canoes. We thank you for choosing to fish and boat in your free time and look forward to welcoming you back to the water next year.

No Warren County waterways were subject to commission action this week but a change was made to a section of Kinzua Creek, one of the best trout streams in the region.

Section 4 of the delayed harvest artificial lures only section was shortened by .27 miles “from the Guffey Road Bridge (Rocky Road) downstream to the Allegheny National Forest boundary near Westline,” the PFBC said in a statement.

Effective Jan. 1, the regulations will revert to less restrictive Commonwealth Inland Waters.

Commission staff during the meeting this week also announced the publication of the Trout Plan that will cover 2020-2024 “which will guide specific goals and objectives of the PFBC’s trout management program.

The plan identifies 43 issues and a total of 137 strategies to address the management of wild trout streams, stocked trout streams, stocked trout lakes and Lake Erie and its tributaries.

Among the plan’s highlights is an awareness that the “cost to operate the stocked trout program is substantial and as such, the PFBC must investigate ways to optimize hatchery operations and program efficiency.”

That may include strategies from replacing an aging stocking truck fleet to the “removal of waters with low use and/or a negative cost-benefit ratio.”

There’s also discussion about expanding the state’s delayed harvest program as “some existing (delayed harvest artificial lures only) areas are relatively short and would benefit from length extensions while there are other stream sections that are excellent candidates for addition to this program.”

The plan also outlines that the PFBC will seek to gather angler input for a state-wide survey, which hasn’t been done since 2005.

“Anglers should be excited about the finalization of the trout plan because that had a part in forming it,” David Nihart, PFBC’s Coldwater Unit Leader, said. “Whether you are a die-hard stocked trout angler, a wild trout enthusiast or you enjoy both, there is something in the trout plan that will appeal to you. Trout fishing is a favorite pastime for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians and we will use this plan to guide our decisions as we work to manage and protect our trout fisheries now and for future generations.”