Rules & Regulations
Cast net laws in Pennsylvania
Illegal by default — legal only with a permit on named watersInformational only — this is not legal advice
Fishing regulations change, sometimes with little notice, and can vary further by county, water body, or season within a state. This page is a starting point for research, not a substitute for the law. Always verify current rules directly with your state's fish & wildlife agency or TakeMeFishing.org before you fish. BasicGear is not responsible for citations, fines, or gear seizures resulting from reliance on this page.
Last verified: 2026-07-08 — regulations are re-checked periodically; see the date above before assuming this is current.
Summary
Cast nets are prohibited statewide by default. They're legal only on Commission-designated waters (Presque Isle Bay/Lake Erie, Raystown Lake, Lake Arthur, Shenango Lake, the Allegheny/Monongahela/Ohio Rivers) with a separate permit, and only for shiners, gizzard shad, and alewife bait.
Size, mesh & licensing
- Max size
- 10 ft radius (20 ft diameter — Pennsylvania states both, and they're equivalent)
- Mesh
- Minimum 3/8 in mesh
- Water type
- Freshwater, named waters only
- License
- PA fishing license plus a separate Cast Net/Throw Net Fishing Permit (about $10 per water body)
Recommended BasicGear net
Cast Net — Basic Series — Choose 3/8" or 1/2" mesh (not 1/4", which is too small for PA's 3/8" minimum) in a size up to 10 ft radius — but you need the specific permit and must be on one of the named waters. It's not legal anywhere else in PA.
Official source
The radius/diameter and mesh figures were confirmed identically on both the agency page and the PA Code/Bulletin text.
Last verified: 2026-07-08
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