Mentored Youth Trout Day

04/29/2026

43 of 100 tagged fish redeemed.

That should mean over 55% of our stocked fish should remain plus about the same for the 2,000 from the local trout nursery and the fish commissions 2 stockings.

Fishing is good, catching is slow. Lots of time with lines in the water is rewarding for shore anglers. One angler caught 4 tagged trout and 3 others caught 3 each.

Time spent afield or should I say time ‘a-lake’ yields rewards.

I’m still waiting on a couple donor checks and will share financials when I receive them.

Only about 30 of 100 kids tags turned in. Remember 301-400 are kids only tags good to June 1.

We r planning our kids day for May 8, 2027. Hopefully warmer weather and we know there won’t be Easter Egg Hunts.
The Scouting for Deals at the canal will probably be the same day and we hope the events will compliment one another.

Trout season will be open so everyone can fish anytime. We promise to stock lots of fish, lunkers and 100 tagged fish for kids only.
Probably free kids t shirts as the prize. Plus some other goodies.

Year long tags good to the day before event next year; #’s 501-600.

If u take your tags to Werner’s please include your address!!

Best to text info to (570) 617-6570

Any questions please ask. Oh, I only know of that 1 Blue Trout caught. I think 4 or 5 left.

Good Luck, Enjoy and take a kid fishing.

And lastly, please like the Friends of Schuylkill Parks and Recreation new website www.FSPR.org
See below.

The Friends of Schuylkill Parks and Recreation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization working to provide financial support exclusively for the County of Schuylkill for the restoration, revitalization and development of county-wide parks and recreation system. + Years Established County Parks - - - Sch...

04/22/2026

Since our treasurer wasn’t inundated with kids tags we have extended the redemption deadline to June 1. Kids tags are 301-400.

3 more tagged fish redeemed

1 local, 2 out of county

18 of 66 so far
10 out of county

34 tags and last 3 loads go in on Saturday!!!

Oh, crappies been hitting and again, some guys say all little and others say a lot of 10 inch plus.

I’ll post recent donors next week.

Take a kid fishing and good luck

Please post your catches! Many have asked about those Blue phase rainbows and our pictures weren’t to good.

Love to see pictures of kids, lunkers, etc.

04/12/2026

Had a great turnout for the Kickoff of the Pioneer Pole Buildings sponsored Betty Dietz and Bruce Schneck Fishing Event.

Boat launch was packed, but a lot of room to fish at clubhouse and some spots at breast.

Fishing was good from shore with lots of catches.

Some awesome Brownies, lunkers and a few mega lunkers stocked.

5 - $100 tags redeemed of the 33 stocked this time.

Reminder on how to redeem as there will no longer be a food stand and therefore we will not be at the pavilion to redeem.

However, I will be at the boat launch from about 6:30am to 7:30am Saturday the 18th.

Also, u can take a photo of the tag with legible number, send to (570) 617-6570 along with your name and address and we’ll process a check which will take a couple weeks.

Or, take to Werner’s Lumber, Pine Grove Store only and leave tag along with name and address.

So great to see so many kids fishing with a few turning in kids tags!!! Kids may also redeem their tags the same way. Thanks parents and family members for getting them outdoors.

Remember, we float stock the lake all the way up to the shallow water. Fish will move as some tagged fish caught upstream and downstream.

I’ll post total registrations and donors when the dust settles. I know we had over 125 registrations yesterday pushing us over 600. Last minute folks. lol. It’s also good to see anglers from all reaches of Schuylkill County!!!

Also, some prelims, over 300 new registrants this year over last. We can’t figure what happened to the other 300 who paid $25 last year and didn’t register for $10 this year. Same amount of fish, $23,000 and same total tagged fish $10,000.

Plus, still around 28% out of county which is good for grant applications and fundraising.
In fact of 5 tagged fish redeemed yesterday, 4 were from out of county.

Sweet Arrow Lake is indeed a regional attraction which also shows officials a positive economic impact as the park operation is a cost to taxpayers, even with clubhouse and other rentals.

Good luck and please continue to take a kid fishing. The smiles when they redeem their $20 tags makes it all worthwhile for us.

04/09/2026

Latest Donors:

$315. Terry ‘Fritz’ Kissinger in Memory of Carl Bohr, Cliff Umbenhauer and Craig ‘Bugger’ Krause. Thanks once again Fritz!

$30 Charles Kramer, Ed Rjtecky

$15 Lenard Kramer

$15 Mike Marx, Derek Deitzler and Effie Ryan

$15 Fred Horan

$10 Jason Fehr

Total $400

Grand Total $8,675. Lots of registrations will be picked up at Werner’s Friday. I’d wager a new record of donations.

Not sure on registration’s though. We were only at 400 as of today. 646 is the record to beat and that was with a $25 registration fee. This year only $10.

$23,000 worth (same as last year) of fish including 450 lunkers and a few mega trout. Plus, 100-$100 tags. $10,000 total, same as last year.

1/3 stocked April 11, 18 and 25th about 7am.

Please get your registrations in to Werners Lumber Ace Hardware, Stony Gun and Archery, Tremont Mini Mart or Mease Meats by their closings Friday, April 10.

We will also take registrations tomorrow at the Boat Launch Pavilion from 6am till about 1pm.

Good luck, take a kid fishing and share with your friends.

See u at the lake!

04/05/2026

About 90 kids only tags remain in the lake. Valid till April 25 and we prefer u turn them in on a Saturday at the food stand pavilion to save our volunteer treasurer from having to write so many checks. We stocked 200 for the kids as an added incentive this year but we don’t want to burn out our treasurer having to write so many checks; plus the checks take 2 signatures and require extra travel for other volunteers.

That’s why the April 25 deadline for kids tags. We could do only 20-$100 tags and make valid all year but wanted to give more kids a chance, thus the 200. This won’t be as much of an issue next year because kids day enhancements will probably be May 8, 2027.

Just to reiterate what was listed on the registration form and multiple Facebook posts; these $2,000 worth of tags are paid from Mentored Youth Day donations and not from Year long event donations.
These smiles and the number of kids we see fishing keeps us motivated.

04/04/2026

Kids tag $20. Nice fish too.

04/02/2026

Here’s our thought on 2027 Mentored Youth Trout Day at Sweet Arrow Lake County Park.

We r tired of fighting Mother Nature’s cold, rain, snow, wind and competing Easter Egg Hunts.

Since Mentored Youth Trout Day is a PA Fish and Boat Commission dedicated day that will not change. Sweet Arrow Lake will be stocked for that day by the Fish Commission.

However, we r seriously considering moving the enhanced part of that day to Saturday, May 8 next year. This date may change?

We would stock the 100 youth tags, lots of fish including lunkers, kids gifts, heaviest trout etc.

Most of the heavy trout season fishing pressure will be over by then. No youth license or permit is required by the Fish Commission after mentored day and hopefully it won’t be 26 degrees.

State trout limits will be in place for all anglers and crappies and bluegills should be ‘Hitting’ as well.

We feel we can offer a better quality event which introduces a lot of kids to fishing, instead of a weather related negative experience.

We may add some additional activities for kids as well.

Next year, Easter is the day after the traditional statewide Mentored Youth Day so it seemed like 2027 was a good time to move the Enhanced event at Sweet Arrow Lake County Park.

Your comments are always welcome and if u have any ideas on kids gifts please let us know. Since we can expect over 200 kids our budget can probably handle a $15 value gift for all.

03/31/2026

In the mail today!

$1,500 from Sponsor Strausstown Rod and Gun Club!
Thanks a bunch Strausstown Rod and Gun Club!!!

Donors:

$250 from MRD Lumber, Bethel
MRD Lumber Company.

$100 Eric and Sharon Minichbach in memory of Thomas Minichbach

$40 Cindy and Craig Zimmerman

$6,745 total or 106 additional lunkers. Awesome folks.

Donations until April 11 purchase more lunkers!

Friends of Schuylkill Parks and Recreation
P.O. Box 81
Friedensburg 17933

$100 in honor or memory of …

Any donation size accepted!!!

There are still 97 kids only tags in the lake good until April 25th. Please redeem at food stand on Saturdays please. Worth $20 each and number 301 to 400

100 Year long tags begin to go in April 11, 18 and 25. Worth $100 each till April 9 next year, 2027.
Numbers 501 - 600.

350 plus 106 more to date, will be stocked in 1/3rds on the above dates around 7am.

$8,000 in donations is not out of reach which will mean a total of 148 more lunkers or 500.

I know we have at least another $500 pledged and many registrants will donate!

You all are making this event truly amazing. Let’s all go out and have fun and take a kid fishing.

03/29/2026

Latest Donors and lots more, THANKS:

$200 Kevin Trafkin

$160 Kyle, Michelle, Gage & Carla Firestone. And thanks again Kyle for being instrumental in Shank Door sponsorship!

$145 Brad, Sonny & Melissa Frey in Honor of James Charles Oldt

$100 Adam Spittler

$100 Kim & Albert Broble - Amy the Fish I Miss

$100 Charles, Linda & Emily Fees in Memory of Tony Carestia

$50 Bob Faust

$40 Walter Schwenk
$40 Theresa Gaffney, Register of Wills, Schuylkill County

The following donated $30

Theresa & Skip Brensinger
Dennis Jr & Sr & Owen Wissinger
Matt Jordon
Kyle Filiac

$20 donors:

Charles & Jennifer Brody
Micheal Matukewicz
Tom Morgan Jr.
Jack, Caitlyn, Len Rakowsky & Matt Steltzer

Gary Bohr
Eric & Sharon Minichbach
Earl Boyer

$15 donors

Brian Omen
Martin Mantz
Skylar Galavage
Charles Nagle and Cameron Hosler

Jeff Weist
Samantha Burkey
Mike and Tammy Hower
Tori Dietrich
John Sprigg
Reid Schwalm
Tony Mione
Lewis Yeich
Robert Troutman
Virginia Sharo
John Wise

$10 donors:

Samantha Moyer
Brian Hafer
Dan Smithmoyer
Frank Costenbader
Dennis Confair
Tom Shappell
Dave Haubenstine
Eric Bechtel
DJ Wiliams
Tom Goodman
Brian Angstartt
Lee Angstartt
Jerry Schwartz
Dustin and Drew Juritsko
Cory Merwine
Rick Natale
Kyle Humphrey
Allen Schultz

$1,600 total Wow!

So right now donations total $6,255.

Break even was $3,550 if the sponsors come through which looks very promising. Still waiting on a few.

So, right now we have $2,705 to purchase more lunkers which cost $30 average. That’s 90 lunkers added to the 350 so far, that we promised to stock
So, with 2 weeks of registrations and time for more donors to come forward we will reach our $7,000 goal and much more!

Thats awesome folks. It goes to show how much you all appreciate the opportunity the lake presents for trout fishing.

We have about 300 registrations as of yesterday. Over the years we learned not to stress about those numbers as there are lots of last minute registrants which have until April 11. Last year we hit 646 and our goal this year is over 700 with the reduced $10 registration.

I realize I share a lot of information but everyone has a stake in the lake and the fishing events and I feel the more I can keep you informed, the more support for the lake.

We’ve been doing this a long time and we have a great core of volunteers! You see them and know who they are so please thank them; as well as the sponsors and donors. It goes a long way. Please praise in public and offer positive suggestions.

We came thru with paving the boat launch area, updated restroom and the steps this year are awesome. We listen to suggestions.

We will be working with the county to have about 15 boat trailer only parking signs erected till next year where the parking lot has the extended pull in area to the east. The signs will give the Wayerways Conservation Officers the authority to cite offenders.

I have asked the church again this year for overflow parking and will let u know. You can always unload and park below the dam breast or at the clubhouse and boat over to pick up passengers. Last year we didn’t need the church parking but after the attendance at Mentored Day, especially with the freezing temps and occasional snow flurries we r not sure what to expect.

The year long event and lots of stocking dates gives everyone a chance to have quality fishing time so please be considerate and patient so we all have a good time. Remember, it’s only a fish and not worth getting upset when someone else makes a mistake and snags your line.

Remember, life jackets must be worn on smaller boats, kayaks
and canoes until May 1. Maybe you don’t value your life but think of the first responders or other volunteers who must or will risk their lives trying to save u.

It’s shaping up to be a season to remember.

Have fun and take a kid fishing!

Good luck to all!

03/28/2026

More early morning shots.