Species by Watershed Approved for Open System (Flow Through) Propagation and Introductions
2026
Footnotes show exceptions and limitations
| Fish1 | Ohio | Erie / Genesee | Susquehanna | Potomac | Delaware |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rainbow Trout, Steelhead, Kamloops (Oncorhynchus mykiss) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Golden Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tiger Trout (Salmo trutta x Salvelinus fontinalis) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Albino Trout (All species) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) | No2 | Yes | No2 | No2 | No2 |
| Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) | No2 | No2 | No2 | No2 | No2 |
| Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes3 |
| Koi (Cyprinus carpio) | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes3 |
| Goldfish (Carassius auratus) | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes3 |
| Comets (Carassius auratus) | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes3 | Yes3 |
| Golden Shiner (Notemigonus chrysoleucas) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fathead Minnow (includes “rosy reds”) (Pimephales promelas) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bluntnose Minnow (Pimephales notatus) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Emerald Shiner (Notropis atherinoides) | Yes6 | Yes | No | No | No |
| Common Shiner (Luxilus cornutus) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Spotfin Shiner (Cyprinella spiloptera) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| White Sucker (Catostomous commersoni) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yellow Bullhead (Ameiurus natalis) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| White Catfish (Ameiurus catus) | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stonecat (Noturus flavus) | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Margined Madtom (Noturus insignis) | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| American Eel5 (Anguilla rostrate) | No | No | Yes4 | Yes4 | Yes4 |
| Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanous) | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Striped Bass hybrid (Morone chrysops x M. saxatilis) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rock Bass (Ambloplites rupestris) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Redbreast Sunfish (Lepomis auritus) | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sunfish hybrid (Lepomis cyanellus x L. macrochirus) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieui) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Black Crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Walleye (Sander vitreus) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chain Pickerel (Esox niger) | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Northern Pike (Esox Lucius) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Northern Green Frog, adults & tadpoles (Rana clamitans melanota) | No2 | No2 | No2 | No2 | No2 |
| Bullfrog, adults & tadpoles (Rana catesbeiana) | No2 | No2 | No2 | No2 | No2 |
| Freshwater Leeches (Subclass Hirudinea) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hellgrammites (Dobsonfly larvae) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mud bugs (Dragonfly larvae) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
- For fish species (except those listed as threatened and endangered) not listed on this table and fish species restricted to certain watersheds, closed system artificial propagation may be permitted with the approval of the Department of Agriculture.
- Open system artificial propagation permitted; however, introduction into Commonwealth waters only with the written permission of the Executive Director of the PA Fish and Boat Commission.
- Cannot be used or sold as bait.
- Minimum length limit of 9 inches applies for bait introductions.
- Dealers must report purchase and sale of all American eels to PFBC, per Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission reporting requirements. Forms provided by PFBC.
- Emerald shiners may be propagated or introduced into the Ohio River Basin only if certified to be viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) free as described in 58 Pa. Code §69.3 (see Note).
Note: There are additional restrictions on the introduction and transportation of VHS susceptible species. VHS-susceptible species are listed as susceptible host species by the World Organization for Animal Health’s Aquatic Manual and listed on the Commission’s Species by Watershed Approved for Open System (Flow Through) Propagation and Introductions list or as the Commission defines by notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. The ‘VHS susceptible species’ term: (1) Includes fish that are dead or alive, preserved or unpreserved, and the parts of the fish; (2) does not include the eggs of these species.
