Pennsylvania stocked about 394,000 steelhead in 2026, according to steelhead author John Nagy's fall report. That is down from roughly 500,000 in 2025, about 717,000 in 2024, and about 1 million a year before the reductions. Fish from those larger stockings are still in the lake this fall. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission expects adult runs could begin to decline in 2027, and a return to 1 million smolts a year is at least several years away.
How far Pennsylvania's steelhead stocking has fallen
For decades, Pennsylvania stocked about 1 million steelhead smolts a year in its Lake Erie tributaries. Since 2024, the annual total has sat well below that mark.
| Year | Steelhead stocked (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Before 2023 | ~1,000,000 per year | Reared at Fairview and Tionesta hatcheries combined |
| 2024 | ~717,000, plus ~100,000 Shasta-strain rainbows | NYSDEC puts Pennsylvania's 2024 total at ~815,000 |
| 2025 | ~500,000 (497,648) | Lake-wide steelhead stocking fell to 1,251,412 |
| 2026 | ~394,000 | Lowest total in the current reduction period |
Sources: John Nagy's 2026 Fall Steelhead Report; NYSDEC Lake Erie Tributary Steelhead Management Plan 2026–2035; USA TODAY Network / Public Opinion, Sept. 22, 2026.
The cut reaches past Pennsylvania. The NYSDEC plan notes that the state stocks more steelhead than any other Lake Erie jurisdiction, and that Pennsylvania fish account for about 80% of adult returns in some New York tributaries.
Why the numbers dropped
Rearing used to be split between two hatcheries. Fairview State Fish Hatchery, in Erie County, sits inside the Lake Erie watershed. Tionesta State Fish Hatchery sits on the Allegheny River, outside it. Eggs from returning Lake Erie fish went to Tionesta, which produced roughly 400,000 to 500,000 smolts a year.
A false-positive test for viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) at Tionesta ended that arrangement. The U.S. Department of Agriculture advised the commission not to move eggs out of the Lake Erie basin. Steelhead rearing at Tionesta stopped in 2023. All of it now happens at Fairview, which can currently produce about 500,000 fish a year.
The Fairview rebuild: water first, then raceways
Water, not raceway space, is the limit at Fairview. Mark Haffley, who leads the commission's Lake Erie Research Unit, said in September 2026 that the hatchery has about 400 to 450 gallons per minute available. Rearing 1 million fish takes about 1,000 gallons per minute. New wells produced only about 100 gallons per minute.
The rebuild has two phases:
- Water treatment and recirculation. A new facility will UV-treat and cool water so it can pass over the fish more than once. The goal is about 800 gallons per minute of usable flow. Haffley said infrastructure work could begin next spring.
- More raceways. Those come only after the water is in place. In Haffley's words, "We can't build the raceways until we have the water."
The timelines in print do not match. Nagy reports that the commission expects three to four years to reach its 1 million target. Haffley said in September 2026 that, with every phase included, it may be eight years before Fairview again produces what the agency stocked in the past. Volunteer cooperative nurseries add up to about 100,000 more fish.
What this means for the fall 2026 and 2027 runs
The points below are an outlook, not a forecast for any single week.
- Several year classes make up every run. Lake Erie steelhead typically return to tributaries two to three years after stocking (ODNR). Commission fisheries staff reported in December 2025 that 75–80% of returning Pennsylvania fish are "two-summer" fish, with some three-summer fish and a few four-summer fish. Fish from the larger 2024 stocking are still in the lake.
- The smallest stockings are only now entering the fishery. The 2025 and 2026 year classes will make up a growing share of returns over the next few seasons. That is why the commission has flagged 2027 as the year a decline may become noticeable. Outdoor News reported in September that anglers "may begin to see fewer steelhead" as early as this fall.
- Some of the loss may show up as fewer strays. The commission believes Tionesta-raised fish imprinted less strongly on their home streams than Fairview fish. It hopes much of the reduction will show up as fewer strays into other states. A Bowling Green State University study comparing Fairview and Tionesta returns was still pending as of December 2025.
- Early signs this fall have been encouraging. In mid-September, Haffley reported "fairly large pods" of steelhead already at Whitman's Bridge on Elk Creek. Charter captains were also reporting steelhead on schools of rainbow smelt offshore. He cautioned that "only time will tell."
Flow will matter as much as the stocking totals. Erie County creeks drain quickly, and steelhead need regular rain to move upstream. Haffley advises waiting until lake temperatures drop into the 60s °F. On Sept. 23, the lake off Erie was 69 °F. Before a trip, check the Pennsylvania steelhead forecast and when Pennsylvania steelhead season starts.
Ohio runs a separate program. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources stocked 464,538 steelhead in 2025 (ODNR stocking summary; see how many steelhead Ohio stocks and the Ohio forecast). Lake Erie steelhead still cross state lines. The commission expects part of Pennsylvania's reduction to show up as fewer strays in neighboring states, which could matter on eastern Ohio creeks such as Conneaut Creek. Western New York depends heavily on Pennsylvania fish. See the New York Lake Erie forecast and the explainer on New York's Lake Erie steelhead plan.
Brown trout and other offsets
To help cover the gap, the commission raised Lake Erie brown trout stocking from about 100,000 to 300,000 a year. That level continues until steelhead production recovers. Haffley expects some returning browns of 14–16 inches this year.
About 100,000 adipose-clipped Shasta-strain rainbows from Ohio's Castalia hatchery were stocked in 2024. Returns were low. Those domestic-strain fish, the commission said, lack a true steelhead's homing instinct, and the money is going toward the Fairview upgrades instead.
Walnut Creek: a falls bypass and new access
In September 2026, commission crews finished a 3-foot-wide trough on the west side of the waterfall above the Manchester Hole on Walnut Creek. The falls became impassable after a storm and ice-scouring event in the late 2010s. The bypass has a gradual grade and a resting pool at the top. It is meant to move steelhead past the private stretch between the Manchester Road bridge and the Manchester Hole and into public water upstream.
Three Walnut Creek easements were approved at the commission's July 27, 2026 meeting. The two purchases were paid from the Lake Erie restricted account:
- Asbury Woods Partnership: 730 feet, both banks, Fairview Township, $14,000.
- Judith M. Schroeck: 312 feet, west bank, Fairview Township, just north of the "tubes" area of Dutch Road, $5,750.
- Millcreek Township (Bridger Park): about 3,600 feet, including parking and footpath easements. The cost was covered by a $97,000 Erie Access Improvement grant awarded in May 2013.
The first in-person creel survey since 2003–04
Two creel clerks are interviewing anglers on Elk Creek, Raccoon Creek, Walnut Creek, and some east-side tributaries. The interviews cover effort, catch, where anglers travel from, and satisfaction. The target is about 3,500 interviews. This is Pennsylvania's first in-person steelhead creel survey since 2003–04. The Pennsylvania Steelhead Association also runs an annual online survey and shares the results with the commission.
Creel limit stays at three
The Pennsylvania Steelhead Association asked for a temporary reduction in the daily limit. The request was not approved. The fall and winter limit remains three steelhead a day. Commission biologists have said a cut from three to two would save relatively few fish, because many anglers already keep fewer than three. Whether to release fish during the rebuild is each angler's decision.
Frequently asked questions
How many steelhead did Pennsylvania stock in 2026? About 394,000, according to John Nagy's 2026 fall report. No published commission total was found. Nagy's figure compares with about 500,000 in 2025, about 717,000 plus roughly 100,000 Shasta-strain rainbows in 2024, and about 1 million a year before 2023.
Why is Pennsylvania stocking fewer steelhead? A false-positive VHS test at the Tionesta hatchery led federal officials to advise keeping Lake Erie steelhead eggs inside the basin. The commission stopped rearing steelhead at Tionesta in 2023. Fairview, in Erie, now raises all of them and can currently produce only about half the former total.
Will the fall 2026 steelhead run in Pennsylvania be smaller? It may be, though that is not certain. Fish from larger earlier stockings are still returning, and the commission has reported good early numbers on Elk Creek. The commission expects a decline could become noticeable starting in 2027. Rain and flows will also decide how the season fishes.
When will Pennsylvania go back to stocking 1 million steelhead? Not for several years. Fairview needs recirculation first, then more raceways. Published estimates run from three to four years to as long as eight.
Do Pennsylvania's cuts affect New York and Ohio steelhead fishing? They can. Pennsylvania fish make up about 80% of adult returns in some New York tributaries, according to NYSDEC, and New York is measuring that share in its 2027 angler survey. Ohio's program is separate. Steelhead still cross state lines, so fewer Pennsylvania strays could show up in neighboring waters.
What is the PFBC doing to make up for fewer steelhead? Brown trout stocking has been raised from about 100,000 to about 300,000 a year until steelhead production recovers. Crews also built a bypass around the Walnut Creek falls, the commission approved three Walnut Creek access easements, and an in-person creel survey is underway.
Sources
Primary (agency)
- Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. "Summary of the 167th Meeting of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission," July 27, 2026. pa.gov
- Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. "Fairview State Fish Hatchery." pa.gov
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Management Plan for Lake Erie Tributary Steelhead, 2026–2035. dec.ny.gov
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. "Ohio's Steelhead Program" (updated January 2025). dam.assets.ohio.gov
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources. "Ohio's Lake Erie Steelhead Trout Stocking Summary, 2021–2025." dam.assets.ohio.gov
Supporting (news and reporting)
- Whipkey, Brian. "Erie County anglers could see more steelhead in fishable waters." USA TODAY Network / Public Opinion, Sept. 22, 2026 (updated Sept. 26). publicopiniononline.com
- Whipkey, Brian. "Steelhead run better than last year as work begins to rear more fish." USA TODAY Network / Daily American, Dec. 10, 2025. dailyamerican.com
- Nagy, John. "2026 Fall Steelhead Report and News." John Nagy's Steelhead Journal. johnnagysteelheadguide.com
- Weisberg, Deborah. "Pennsylvania stocking fewer steelhead in recent years." Outdoor News, Sept. 7, 2026 (paywalled; only the opening paragraphs were checked). outdoornews.com
