HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission announced Wednesday that it has temporarily lifted all seasons, sizes, and creel limits at the Sheppard-Myers Reservoir in Hanover, York County.
The change is effective immediately and will remain in place until further notice, the PFBC said.
A fishing license is still required, according to the PFBC.
The regulation removal is in anticipation of the Hanover Water Department’s plan to drain the reservoir and upgrade the dam and spillway structures to meet dam safety standards. The reservoir serves as a public water supply source for the Borough of Hanover and offers angling opportunities for stocked trout and warmwater sportfish species, the PFBC said.
“We have temporarily lifted the regulations to reduce the number of fish in the lake in advance of a complete drawdown of the lake scheduled for spring of 2020,” said Kris Kuhn, Chief of the PFBC Division of Fisheries Management. “We encourage anglers to fish the water and make good use of as many fish as they can prior to the lake being drained.”
The 47-acre reservoir currently holds populations of largemouth bass, yellow perch, white perch, sunfish (black crappie, bluegill and pumpkinseed) and stocked trout.
Anglers should note that trout stocking for the 2020 through 2022 seasons within the reservoir will be suspended while repairs are underway. The PFBC will initiate restocking of the lake as soon as refilling conditions allow. The restocking plan will include a variety of fingerling sized warmwater fish species to rebuild the fishery, as well as adult stocked trout.
