Fish / Bald Eagle Creek fishing regulations, explained
Fish · answer
Bald Eagle Creek fishing regulations, explained
Three rule sets on one creek, and where each one starts and stops.
AJ Brau · Julian resident · Bald Eagle Valley anglerUpdated October 15, 20262 minJulian, Pennsylvania
Above Milesburg the creek is stocked trout water under statewide rules, except 0.8 mile around Steele Hollow Run, the only All-Tackle Keystone Select water in Pennsylvania. From the Spring Creek confluence down to Sayers Lake it is Class A wild-trout water, stocked with rainbows, where wild browns are catch-and-release only.
Nearby special-regulation water: Fisherman’s Paradise on Spring Creek is fly-fishing only and catch-and-release. The Class A tributaries — Wallace Run, Laurel Run, Dicks Run, Holt Run — are small, wild, unstocked and mostly on private land.
Wildlife for Everyone’s Soaring Eagle Wetland near Julian offers an accessible trail, fishing and viewing platform, and wildlife-viewing opportunities. Begin at the designated parking on South Eagle Valley Road. Check current visitor information and fishing rules for the exact stream section; the wetland marker does not establish public access along the entire creek. Visitor information: https://www.wildlifeforeveryone.org/visit-the-wetlands
The mouth of Steele Hollow Run (PFBC spells it Steel Hollow), the reference point for the All-Tackle Keystone Select Trout stretch, PFBC section 04: 0.38 mi upstream to 0.48 mi downstream of here, about 0.8 mile. It is the only Keystone Select water in Pennsylvania where bait is legal. Lure, bait or fly, open year-round; trout may be kept only from June 15 to Labor Day, 3 a day at 9 inches or longer. Park at Soaring Eagle Wetland and walk the bank or the ADA path.
Where Spring Creek joins Bald Eagle Creek. From here downstream through the Sayers Lake backwater is the 5.7-mile Class A Wild Trout section — stocked rainbows plus wild browns, and the wild browns are catch-and-release only. Roughly two-thirds of the flow below here is Spring Creek. Park at Milesburg Community Park off Route 144, a tenth of a mile west: free, a small lot, and a short rocky path down to the water.
PFBC's legendary catch-and-release, fly-fishing-only stretch of Spring Creek in the canyon below Bellefonte. Wild browns; heritage-angling rules. 20 minutes from Julian.
AdventuresFlyfishing Access
Where do the section boundaries actually fall?
The limits here come from the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s section descriptions and mapping data, and the section numbers are PFBC’s own. The signs posted on the bank govern.
Is bait legal at Steele Hollow Run?
Yes. That is what “All-Tackle” means. It is the only Keystone Select water in the state where bait is allowed.
Can I keep brown trout below Milesburg?
No. On the Class A section from the Spring Creek confluence to Sayers Lake, brown trout are catch-and-release at all times. Stocked rainbows may be kept under statewide rules until Labor Day.
What changes in 2027?
From January 1, 2027, the statewide minimum size for trout rises from 7 to 9 inches. The Keystone Select stretch already uses 9 inches.
