Fisheries Management
Pennsylvania is fortunate to have a vast water resource comprised of more than 86,000 miles of streams and rivers, along with 4,000 inland lakes and ponds covering 160,000 acres, plus 470,000 acres of Lake Erie.
Within the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the Division of Fisheries Management, Bureau of Fisheries, oversees PFBC efforts in the management of Pennsylvania fisheries.
A fishery consists of three elements:
- the animals that are being pursued
- the habitat in which the animals live
- the people who are pursuing the animals for either sport or commercial purposes
Surveys of fish populations of individual streams and lakes are posted within the Biologist Reports section of our website. View mapping of PA waters on our County Guide and PA Lakes pages. Other resources include Trout Water Classifications, Habitat Improvement and Lake Habitat Improvement.