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Wild Brook Trout Enhancement Evaluations
2008
 
Northeastern Pennsylvania
During the 2008 field season, Fisheries Management staff from the Area 5 and Area 6 offices conducted inventories to monitor the wild trout populations on Kistler Run, Wolf Swamp Run, and Jeans Run. The examinations were conducted as part of an assessment of wild trout populations managed under the Wild Brook Trout Enhancement Program. Under these regulations angling is permitted on a year-round basis with no tackle restrictions, and no brook trout may be harvested from these waters at any time. Commonwealth Inland Waters regulations apply to other trout species with a seven-inch minimum length limit and five trout per day creel limit from the opening day of trout season through Labor Day, and no harvest for the remainder of the season.

Collage of wild brook trout streams
Wild brook trout streams - clockwise from top left; Wolf Swamp Run, Kistler Run, Unnamed tributary and Jeans Run

Backpack electrofishing was conducted at one historic sampling site in each stream to monitor brook trout abundance and size structure. The length of each sample site was 300 m (or 330 yards).

7 inch and young-of-year brook trout from Jeans Run
7 inch and young-of-year brook trout from Jeans Run

Based on information compiled on wild brook trout waters for the 2002 Trout Summit, the statewide average for legal size wild brook trout (greater than or equal to seven inches in length) from freestone streams was 34 trout/mile. Prior to their placement in the Wild Brook Trout Enhancement Program, wild brook trout populations exceeded the statewide average of 34 legal size brook trout per mile in Kistler Run, Wolf Swamp Run, and Jeans Run. However, by 2006, only Kistler Run (53 legal trout/mile) and Wolf Swamp Run (48 legal trout/mile) remained above the statewide average for legal size wild brook trout. In 2008, the abundance of legal size brook trout fell below the statewide average in each of the streams managed under Wild Brook Trout Enhancement regulations. In addition, larger wild brook trout (greater than or equal to nine inches in length) have not been captured during recent examinations on the study waters. Sampling will continue through the 2010 season to monitor the response of wild brook trout populations to Wild Brook Trout Enhancement regulations.

Brook Trout Enhancement Study Waters – NE PA
Kistler Run – Monroe County
Limits: 3.1 miles of stream within State Game Lands (SGL) 127
Nearest Town and Receiving Water: Tobyhanna and Tobyhanna Creek
Water Quality: A tannic colored low alkalinity freestone stream
Survey Year Total
Caught		 Size Range
(inches)		 Estimated Number
7 inches or longer/mile		 Estimated Number
9 inches or greater/mile
2008 90 2-8 26 0
2006 74 2-8 53 0
2004 97 2-8 109 0
2003 75 1-8 143 0
Wolf Swamp Run – Monroe County
Limits: 2.0 miles of stream within SGL 38
Nearest Town and Receiving Water: Scotrun and Pocono Creek
Water Quality: A clear low alkalinity freestone stream
Survey Year Total
Caught		 Size Range
(inches)		 Estimated Number
7 inches or longer/mile		 Estimated Number
9 inches or greater/mile
2008 212 1-7 32 0
2006 149 1-7 48 0
2004 146 1-8 48 0
2001* 204 1-8 26 0
Jeans Run – Carbon County
Limits: 2.5 miles of stream within SGL 141
Nearest Town and Receiving Water: Nesquehoning Borough and Nesquehoning Creek
Water Quality: A clear very low alkalinity freestone stream
Survey Year Total
Caught		 Size Range
(inches)		 Estimated Number
7 inches or longer/mile		 Estimated Number
9 inches or greater/mile
2008 191 1-7 5 0
2006 144 2-7 11 0
2004 192 2-7 43 0
1993 127 2-7 5 0
1992 136 2-10 47 42
 
-- Areas 5 & 6

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