Fishing in Berks County: Spots and How to Get a License

A Pennsylvania fishing license for a resident costs $27.97 a year, and anyone age 16 and older needs one to fish in the state. Berks County has good places to use it, from the open water at Blue Marsh Lake to the trout fishing on the Tulpehocken Creek.

Fishing licenses are a state job, not a county one. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) sets the rules and the prices, and the County of Berks does not issue fishing licenses on its own authority. The one local wrinkle is that the Berks County Treasurer acts as a state licensing agent, so you can buy a state license in person at the county offices.

Who needs a license

A valid Pennsylvania fishing license is required of everyone age 16 and over. Children under 16 fish free and need no license. An adult who is helping a child who stays within arm's reach, and who is actively fishing, does not need a license either, according to the PFBC.

The current license year runs December 1, 2025, through December 31, 2026. A 2026 license you buy now is good as soon as you pay for it and lasts through the end of the year. Next year's licenses go on sale December 1.

What a license costs

These are the 2026 prices from the PFBC fee schedule. Each already includes a $1.00 issuing-agent fee and a $0.97 transaction fee, so the price is the same no matter where you buy.

• Resident annual (ages 16 to 64): $27.97
• Senior resident annual (65 and older): $14.47
• Senior resident lifetime (65 and older): $86.97
• Resident 3-year: $79.97
• Resident 5-year: $131.97
• Resident 10-year: $261.97
• Resident 1-day: $14.47
• Non-resident annual: $60.97
• 3-day tourist: $31.97
• 7-day tourist: $39.47
• Voluntary youth license (under 16): $2.97

Two add-on permits cover special fishing:

• Trout permit, needed to keep or target trout: $14.97
• Lake Erie permit, for the Lake Erie watershed: $9.97
• Combination trout and Lake Erie permit: $20.97

If you plan to fish for trout anywhere in Berks County, you need the annual license plus the trout permit.

How to buy a license online (fastest)

Buying online through HuntFishPA takes a few minutes, and you can print the license or save it to your phone right away.

1. Go to the state portal at huntfish.pa.gov.
2. Sign in to your HuntFishPA account, or create a new account if you have never used it.
3. Choose your license type, such as the resident annual fishing license, and add any permit you need, such as the trout permit.
4. Enter your information and pay by card. The $1.00 agent fee and $0.97 transaction fee are already in the listed price.
5. Print your license and carry it while fishing, or save the digital copy.

The three ways to buy

• Online at HuntFishPA. The quickest option, open any time, with the license ready to print or show on your phone.
• At a retail issuing agent. The PFBC has close to 700 licensing agents statewide, including many sporting-goods and outdoor stores. They sell the same license at the same price.
• At the Berks County Treasurer. The Treasurer's office is a state licensing agent and issues fishing licenses in person, along with hunting and dog licenses. It is at the Berks County Services Center, 2nd floor, 633 Court Street, Reading, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Phone 610-478-6640.

The price is identical through every channel because the fees are built in, so no method is cheaper than another. Online is simply the fastest.

Where to fish in Berks County

Blue Marsh Lake

Blue Marsh Lake is a large lake northwest of Reading, built and run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control. It is a popular warm-water fishery with free shoreline access and boat launches, and there is no entrance or launch fee. Your state fishing license is all you need to fish here, with no extra federal fishing charge. See our Blue Marsh Lake guide for launches, trails, and rules.

The Tulpehocken Creek

The Tulpehocken Creek below the Blue Marsh dam is one of the best-known trout streams in the region. The PFBC manages the tailrace section under delayed-harvest, artificial-lures-only rules, which means the water is open year-round, trout must mostly be released, and you may use only artificial lures and flies. A stretch is also part of the PFBC's Keystone Select program, which stocks larger trophy trout. The exact boundaries and the short summer harvest window change, so confirm the current section limits and dates on the PFBC trout stocking schedule before you go, and remember you need the trout permit here.

Other county waters

The PFBC stocks trout in a number of Berks County creeks and lakes beyond the Tulpehocken, and many warm-water creeks, ponds, and the Schuylkill River are open to public fishing with a state license. The PFBC trout stocking schedule lists the stocked waters in the county and the dates they are stocked.

One note on the county parks: Stonecliffe Recreation Area in Reading had a fishing pier on the Tulpehocken Creek, but the county closed it after the 2025 removal of Bushong's Dam lowered the water, and it does not reach the water now. See our Berks County parks guide for what each park offers.

The basic rules

Pennsylvania sets statewide seasons, minimum sizes, and creel limits, which are the number of fish you may keep per day, and these vary by species. Some waters, like the delayed-harvest stretch of the Tulpehocken, carry special regulations. The full details are in the PFBC's Pennsylvania Fishing Summary, linked in the sources. Carry your license while you fish, and buy the trout permit if trout are your target.

FAQ

Do I need a license to fish in Berks County?

Yes, if you are 16 or older. A Pennsylvania fishing license is required statewide, and that includes every public water in Berks County. The county does not issue the license; the state does.

How much is a PA fishing license?

A resident annual license is $27.97 for 2026, with the agent and transaction fees already included. A senior resident annual license is $14.47, and a senior resident lifetime license is $86.97. A trout permit, if you want to fish for trout, adds $14.97.

Where can I fish for free or without a boat?

You still need a license at 16 and older, but you can fish from shore without a boat at Blue Marsh Lake and along the Tulpehocken Creek. Children under 16 fish free, and an adult helping a child within arm's reach does not need a license.

Do kids need a fishing license?

No. Children under 16 may fish without a license. If you want to start them with their own license, the voluntary youth license is $2.97.

Where are the trout stocked?

The PFBC stocks trout in Berks County waters, including the Tulpehocken Creek below the Blue Marsh dam, which is a delayed-harvest fishery. Check the PFBC trout stocking schedule for the current list of stocked waters and dates, and remember you need the trout permit to fish for them.

Sources and contact

• PA Fish and Boat Commission: Buy a Fishing License/Permit (fees)
• HuntFishPA online portal
• PFBC: Fishing Licenses and Regulations FAQs
• PFBC: 2026 licenses on sale December 1 (validity dates)
• PFBC: Trout Stocking Schedule
• PFBC: Keystone Select Stocked Trout Waters
• PFBC: Pennsylvania Fishing Summary
• Berks County Treasurer, 633 Court Street, 2nd floor, Reading, PA 19601, 610-478-6640
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Blue Marsh Lake

PFBC general questions: 1-717-705-7800. For questions on a Berks County license bought in person, call the Treasurer at 610-478-6640.

To understand which services the county runs and which belong to the state, see our guide to how Berks County government works.