Pennsylvania regulations 2026–27
Fishing rows are copied from the PA Fish & Boat Commission 2026 Fishing Summary (Commonwealth Inland Waters). Hunting dates come from the PA Game Commission seasons page and are cross-checked against the 2026–27 Hunting & Trapping Digest. Every table links to the official source. If anything here disagrees with the PA Fish & Boat Commission / Game Commission, the PA Fish & Boat Commission / Game Commission is right.
Pennsylvania season & rule alerts
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Commonwealth inland waters: seasons, minimum size & daily limit
Inland waters only. Lake Erie, the Delaware River and Estuary, Pymatuning/Conowingo, Big Bass, Panfish Enhancement, Brood Stock lakes and trout waters have different rules — check the PFBC summary. Pickerel and northern pike seasons are a merged cell in the PFBC table, so we don't repeat them here. Trout, shad/herring closures and baitfish rows are left out until verified by hand.
| Species | Daily bag | Min length | Max length |
|---|---|---|---|
Bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted) — lakes, rivers and streams
| 4 (combined species) | 15 inches | — |
Bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted) — lakes, rivers and streams
| NO HARVEST - Catch and immediate release only | — | — |
Bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted) — lakes, rivers and streams
| 6 (combined species) | 12 inches | — |
Muskellunge and tiger muskellunge
| 1 (combined species) | 40 inches | — |
| Pickerel | 4 | 18 inches | — |
| Northern pike | 2 | 24 inches | — |
Walleye and saugeye (hybrids)
| 6 | 15 inches | — |
Sauger
| 6 | 12 inches | — |
American shad (where open)
| 3 | No minimum | — |
Herring, gizzard shad
| 50 (combined species) | No minimum | — |
American eel
| 25 | 9 inches | — |
Striped bass and striped bass/white bass hybrids
| 2 (combined species) | 20 inches | — |
Sunfish, yellow perch, white perch, crappies, catfish, rock bass, suckers, carp, white bass, bowfin and other gamefish not otherwise listed
| 50 (combined species) | No minimum | — |
PFBC 2026 Pennsylvania Fishing Summary (PDF) 2026 (Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026) · official source ↗ · checked Oct 17, 2026
Hunting season dates 2026–27
Deer9 seasons+
| Season | Zone / area | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| ARCHERY (Antlered and Antlerless) | WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D | Sept. 19-Nov. 27 and Dec. 26-Jan. 24, 2027. |
| ARCHERY (Antlered and Antlerless) | Statewide | Oct. 3 - Nov. 20 and Dec. 26-Jan. 24, 2027. |
| ANTLERLESS MUZZLELOADER - ANTLERLESS | See source | Oct. 17-25. |
| ANTLERLESS SPECIAL FIREARMS (Statewide) | Statewide | Oct. 22-25. |
| REGULAR FIREARMS (Antlered and Antlerless) Statewide | Statewide | Nov. 28-Dec. 13. |
| ANTLERED OR ANTLERLESS FLINTLOCK (Statewide) | Statewide | Dec. 26-Jan. 24, 2027. |
| ANTLERLESS EXTENDED REGULAR FIREARMS | WMUs 2B, 5C, and 5D | Dec. 26-Jan. 24, 2027. |
| ANTLERLESS EXTENDED REGULAR FIREARMS | DMAP properties statewide | Dec. 26-Jan. 24, 2027. |
| ANTLERLESS (Agricultural Deer Control) | See source | Aug. 1-April 15, 2027. |
WMU, license and fluorescent orange rules apply — check the Game Commission page. One row (extended antlerless firearms, WMUs 4A/4C/4D/5A) is held back because the official page and digest disagree on the year.
Turkey8 seasons+
| Season | Zone / area | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| FALL WILD TURKEY - (Male or Female) | WMUs 1A, 2G, 3A, 4A, 4B and 4D | Oct. 31-Nov. 15 |
| FALL WILD TURKEY - (Male or Female) | WMUs 1B, 3D, 4C and 4E | Oct. 31-Nov. 8 |
| FALL WILD TURKEY - (Male or Female) | WMUs 2A, 2F, 3B, 3C | Oct. 31-Nov. 15 and Nov. 25-27 |
| FALL WILD TURKEY - (Male or Female) | WMUs 2B, 2C, 2D and 2E | Oct. 31-Nov. 20 and Nov. 25-27 |
| FALL WILD TURKEY - (Male or Female) | WMU 5A and 5B | Oct. 31-Nov. 3 |
| SPRING GOBBLER (Bearded bird only) | See source | May 1 - May 15, 2027; May be hunted ½ hour before sunrise to 12 noon |
| SPRING GOBBLER (Bearded bird only) | See source | May 16 - May 31, 2027; May be hunted ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset |
| SPRING GOBBLER (Bearded bird only) | Junior and mentored hunters 16 and under | April 24-25, 2027 |
WMU, license and fluorescent orange rules apply — check the Game Commission page. One row (extended antlerless firearms, WMUs 4A/4C/4D/5A) is held back because the official page and digest disagree on the year.
Black bear8 seasons+
| Season | Zone / area | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| FIREARMS | STATEWIDE | Nov. 21-24 |
| EXTENDED FIREARMS | WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C, 4E and 5A | Nov. 28-Dec. 6 |
| EXTENDED FIREARMS | WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D | Nov. 28-Dec. 13 |
| MUZZLELOADER (Statewide) | Statewide | Oct. 22-25. |
| SPECIAL FIREARMS (Statewide) | Statewide | Oct. 22-25. |
| ARCHERY | WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D | Sept. 19-Nov. 27. |
| ARCHERY | WMUs 3C, 3D and 5B | Oct. 3-Nov. 20. |
| ARCHERY | WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 5A | Oct. 17-25. |
WMU, license and fluorescent orange rules apply — check the Game Commission page. One row (extended antlerless firearms, WMUs 4A/4C/4D/5A) is held back because the official page and digest disagree on the year.
Elk4 seasons+
| Season | Zone / area | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| ELK, ARCHERY (Antlered or Antlerless) | Elk license holders | Sept. 12-27. |
| ELK, REGULAR FIREARMS - FIRST (Antlered or Antlerless) | Elk license holders | Oct. 3-11. |
| ELK, REGULAR FIREARMS - SECOND (Antlered or Antlerless) | Elk license holders | Oct. 31-Nov. 8. |
| ELK, REGULAR FIREARMS - THIRD (Antlered or Antlerless) | Elk license holders | Jan. 9-17, 2027. |
WMU, license and fluorescent orange rules apply — check the Game Commission page. One row (extended antlerless firearms, WMUs 4A/4C/4D/5A) is held back because the official page and digest disagree on the year.
PA Game Commission seasons and bag limits 2026–27 · official source ↗ · checked Oct 17, 2026
Licenses
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