Regulations lifted: Anglers can catch fish of all sizes at Raccoon Creek State Park

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is lifting fishing restrictions beginning Saturday at the Upper Pond in Raccoon Creek State Park in Beaver County to clear out as many fish before draining it.

Anglers can take fish, starting Saturday, of all seasons, sizes, and creel limits in the Upper Pond until further notice, said Krystal Gwynn, assistant park manager.

The action is a rarity.

The Upper Pond is normally a catch-and-release pond, according to David Nihart, chief of the commission’s Fisheries Management Division. The pond is populated with largemouth bass and panfish species including bluegill, pumpkinseed and white crappie, according to the commission.

The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will drain the almost eight-acre Upper Pond in the fall for a floodplain restoration project. The commission will transfer any remaining fish to Raccoon Lake.

Then next year, DCNR will remove the dam from the pond to reclaim the original stream channel of Traverse Creek.

The pond is also known as the Group Camping Area Lake and is located off Cabin Road, past the park office.

Gwynn expects more people, especially families, to visit the pond for the unique fishing opportunity.

Raccoon Creek State Park Manager Albert Wasilewski asks the public to refrain from harvesting the fish until this weekend.

“We appreciate cooperation from the public as we transition into implementing the restoration plan,” he said.