The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will begin stocking 3.2 million trout this month in preparation for the April 2 statewide opening of trout season.

In Butler County, the first stockings are scheduled for Feb. 23 at Glade Run Lake and Harbar Acres Lake. Other early stockings will take place at the north branch of Slippery Rock Creek on Feb. 25 and Slippery Rock Creek on Feb. 28.

Most trout waters in the county will be stocked in March and April. Glade Run Lake and the delayed harvest, artificial lure only section of Buffalo Creek are also slated to be stock in the fall.

The complete schedule of preseason and in-season stockings, fishing regulations and information on buying fishing licenses are available on the commission website.

Young anglers will have the chance to catch some fish before adults March 26 during the statewide mentored youth trout day.

The commission will stock adult trout in 696 streams and 128 lakes open to public angling. The 3.2 million stocked fish will include 2.2 million rainbow trout, 686,000 brown trout and 293,000 brook trout. The average size of the trout raised in state hatcheries for stocking is 11 inches in length with an average weight of .58 pounds.

Trophy-sized trout are also being stocked. About 70,000 brood fish, which are 2 ½ year-old and 3 ½ year-old rainbow, brown and brook trout measuring 14 to 20 inches will be released throughout the season.

About 70% of the larger fish will be stocked into streams and lakes prior to opening day of trout season, and 30% will be stocked during in-season stockings.

The commission is stocking 13,000 golden rainbow trout. These prized fish featuring golden-orange pigmentation and weighing an average of 1.5 pounds will be stocked before and during the season. About 80% of golden rainbows will be stocked during the preseason and 20% will be stocked in-season.

The Keystone select Stocked Trout waters, sections of 24 streams across the state are stocked with large 14 to 20 inch trout and managed under delayed harvest artificial lures only or miscellaneous special regulations, will also be stocked. Under the program, approximately 10,000 large trout will be distributed among the streams. The trout will be stocked at a rate of 175 to 225 per mile of stream, which is comparable to the numbers of similarly sized fish in Pennsylvania's best wild trout waters.

Conservation groups, schools and walk-up volunteers are needed to to help commission staff stock the trout in local waterways. Volunteers are asked to keep the safety of PFBC staff and other volunteers in mind, obey traffic laws while following stocking vehicles, and stay home if they are not feeling well.

To participate in trout fishing and keep trout, anglers ages 16 and older must have a fishing license and a trout permit.

Fishing licenses, launch permits, and boat registration renewals are available online at www.fishandboat.com, the FishBoatPA mobile app or by visiting one of approximately 700 retail license issuing agents. The commission said it has improved the online purchasing system. Anglers are no longer required to display a printed copy of their fishing license on the outside of their clothing and may simply store their license digitally on their phones.