HARRISBURG – Families and friends visiting Pennsylvania’s popular outdoor spots this holiday weekend can enjoy a day of free fishing, thanks to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC).
Memorial Day – Monday, May 28 – marks the first of two free fishing days in the Commonwealth. Fish For Free Days allow anyone – residents and non-residents – to legally fish in Pennsylvania. From 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on both days, no fishing license is needed to fish in Pennsylvania’s waterways. All other fishing regulations apply. The second Fish for Free Day is Labor Day – Monday, Sept. 3.
“Fish-for-Free days are a convenient way to introduce friends and family to the sport of fishing,” said PFBC Executive Director John Arway. “Many families spend the day at lakes and parks throughout the state. Now they can try fishing at no cost. We know that once people try it, particularly kids, they will see that fishing is a great recreational activity and they will want to do it more.”
More information about Fish-for-Free Days is available on the PFBC web site.
To make it even easier to get started – or restarted – in fishing, visit the PFBC’s web site and select “Fish” from the left-hand navigation bar. From the drop-down menu, select Fishing Fundamentals.
Regional Media Contacts – Please contact a regional outreach coordinator for more information and to set up on-the-water interviews with Waterways Conservation Officers.
Northwest Region (Counties – Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, Warren)
Keith Edwards
(814) 336-2426
kedwards@pa.gov
Southwest Region (Counties – Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington, Westmoreland)
Denny Tubbs
(814) 443-9841
dtubbs@pa.gov
Northcentral and Southcentral Regions (NC Counties – Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Tioga, Union; SC Counties – Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, York)
Carl Richardson
(717) 705-7848
crichardso@pa.gov
NE and SE Regions (NE Counties – Bradford, Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming; SE Counties – Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Schuylkill)
Walt Dietz
(570) 477-2206
wdietz@pa.gov