General License Conditions
- Licensee is required to comply with the Fish and Boat code regulations found in 58 PA Code Sections 69.21 through 69.38.
- It is unlawful to use VHS-susceptible species of fish, parts thereof or their eggs taken from the Lake Erie watershed as fish bait in Commonwealth waters outside of the Lake Erie watershed except when the fish are from a group of fish certified as having tested negative for VHS or are from an artificial propagation facility certified as having tested negative for VHS.
- Licensee shall allow officers authorized to enforce the Fish and Boat Code unrestricted access to the licensee’s place of business and any boats used for fishing during normal business hours to inspect sales records and catch reports.
- Licensee is required to complete and submit monthly catch reports to the Northwest Region Office at the below listed address.
Bureau of Law Enforcement
11528 State Highway 98
Meadville, PA 16335
Trap Net License Conditions
- Licensees are responsible for and shall be physically present during the day to day operation of the licensed trap nets.
- Licensees are required to comply with size limits and seasons for those species of fish that may be lawfully caught by means of trap nets.
- Traps nets may be fished and / or set from March 1 through November 30. The nets may be fished 24 hours a day but it is unlawful to set or lift the trap nets during the period from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.
- Trap nets may not be fished or set in restricted portions of Lake Erie where the use of trap nets is prohibited.
- Licensee may not use or fish more than six trap nets, singularly or in a series or tandem set, at any one time.
- No more than two licensed trap netters may fish from the same boat at any one time.
- Licensee is required to complete and submit monthly catch reports to the Northwest Region Office at the above listed address.
- The trap net shall have the identifying tag furnished with the license attached to the trap net when it is in use.\
- Licensee is required to notify the Northwest Region Office when nets are set initially at the beginning of the season
Seine License Conditions
- Seines may be no greater than 150 feet in length and no greater than 6 feet in width. For the purposes of this license, configurations of seines include drop nets, umbrella nets and dip nets. Licensee may only fish one licensed seine at a time.
- The seine shall have the identifying plastic tag furnished with the license attached to the seine when it is in use.
- Seines may be used for the taking of emerald shiners, spottail shiners, gizzard shad and alewife only. There is no minimum length or daily limit for these species.
- The licensee may possess an unlimited number of alive, dead or preserved emerald shiners, spot tail shiners, gizzard shad or alewife at his/her place of business provided the business is located within the Lake Erie watershed and offer these species for sale for use in the Lake Erie watershed only.
- It is unlawful for a licensee to use a commercial seine within 100 yards of a holder of a commercial seine license.
- It is unlawful for a licensee use a commercial seine within an area 300 feet from the mouth of any stream or within the confines of a tributary stream to Lake Erie.
- It is unlawful for a licensee to interfere with sport anglers or boaters while conducting seining operations.