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On-Stream Etiquette Around Spawning Fish
Respect the Redd: On-Stream Etiquette Around Spawning Fish
As the fall and spring seasons bring some of the most exciting fishing of the year, they also bring a critical responsibility to protect the future of the fisheries we love.
During these months, wild trout, steelhead, and other species enter their spawning cycles, building redds (nests) in gravel beds to lay and fertilize eggs. While it's thrilling to witness fish in the act of spawning, it’s also a moment to practice restraint, responsibility, and reverence.
Here’s what every angler should know — and do — when they see spawning fish on the stream.
What Are Redds?
A redd is a shallow, bowl-shaped depression in the gravel, typically in clean, oxygen-rich riffles or tailouts. These areas will appear lighter than the surrounding streambed, where fish have swept away silt and debris to create the nest.
Inside, fertilized eggs incubate for weeks or even months, depending on water temperature and species. Disturbing redds or walking over them can crush eggs, ruin spawning efforts, and devastate future fish populations.
On-Stream Etiquette: What You Should — and Shouldn’t — Do
- ✅ Observe from a Distance: Watching wild trout or steelhead spawn is a privilege. Take the time to observe their behavior, admire their resilience, and share the moment — without wading too close or casting at them.
- ❌ Don’t Target Spawning Fish on Redds: These fish are in survival mode, not feeding mode. Actively fishing over them while they’re trying to reproduce is considered poor ethics. It disrupts the spawning process and adds stress to already vulnerable fish.
- ✅ Avoid Wading Through Spawning Areas: Stay out of gravel tailouts and shallow riffles where redds are likely. Even if you don't see fish actively spawning, you might unknowingly trample fertilized eggs. Stick to the edges, use established trails, and step lightly.
- ❌ Don’t Confuse Post-Spawn Fish for Fair Game: While post-spawn fish may move off the redds, they're often exhausted and still highly stressed. Catching them too soon can lead to mortality even if they’re released. Give them time to recover.
Why It Matters
Our coldwater fisheries rely heavily on wild reproduction — especially in special regulation and Class A streams like the Letort, Big Spring, Yellow Breeches, Penns Creek, and Spring Creek. Unlike stocked fish, these wild populations don’t have hatcheries backing them up. One careless step can set back years of natural reproduction.
As stewards of the sport, it’s our job to protect these fish — not just for ourselves, but for future generations of anglers.
How You Can Help
- Educate others: Share what you know about redds and ethical behavior on the water.
- Report violations: If you see someone intentionally targeting fish on redds or disturbing critical habitat, contact your local conservation officers or PFBC.
- Support habitat restoration: Get involved with your local TU chapter (like CVTU!) and help improve spawning habitat in our watersheds.
- Fish responsibly: Target pre- or post-spawn fish in deeper runs and avoid the shallow gravel where redds are visible.
A Healthy Future Starts With You
Fly fishing is more than catching — it’s about connection. When we respect the spawning cycles of our native and wild fish, we ensure that the waters we love stay healthy, fishable, and vibrant for decades to come.
Let’s do our part. Respect the redds. Educate others. And fish with the future in mind.
Want to get involved in local conservation efforts? Join our local Cumberland Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter, and help protect the waters we all cherish.
When we respect spawning fish, we protect the future of our fisheries.
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