Trout season in Lancaster and a host of surrounding southeast Pennsylvania counties opens March 29.

At 8 a.m. on that day, thousands of anglers will cast their lines into approved trout waters across these counties in hopes of hooking stocked and wild fish.

In the New Holland area, Mill Creek, just south of the borough, is always a popular place on opening day.

This meandering, farmland stream attracts a lot of the local Amish residents and a host of English anglers as well.

Mill Creek is not stocked by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Instead, Penn Dutch Sportsmen's Club each year dumps into the stream hundreds of trout reared in a nearby hatchery.

The stretch of Mill Creek between North Hollander Road and Centerville Road on the Leacock-Upper Leacock border is arguably the most popular stretch of the stream among trout anglers.

This year, however, fishing on most of this section of Mill Creek will be limited to just two anglers come March 29 — a pair of bald eagles.

In recent days, Steve Martin, wildlife conservation officer for the Pennsylvania Game Commission in northeast Lancaster County, has erected red signs stating "Restricted Area. Authorized Personnel Only as Authorized by the Executive Director Pennsylvania Game Commission" along Mill Creek between the two roads.

That's because the pair of eagles has taken up residence in the top of a tall tree along the creek in this area.

And Martin believes they are currently incubating one or more eggs.

"They started sitting on the nest in earnest Feb. 7," Martin said. "We'll know if they're successful about the end of March or in early April."

And since that's exactly when trout season is set to open, Martin wants to make sure the eagles are left as undisturbed as possible.

"The last thing we need is to have people walking right under that nest waving fishing rods around," he said.

Fishing will not be permitted — by humans — past the "Restricted Area" signs posted on an island just downstream from North Hollander Road and along the creek bank just upstream from Centerville Road.

Both sets of signs will keep anglers about 300 yards from the nest.

Martin said anglers can count on regularly seeing him and his deputies along the stream once trout season opens to make sure people respect the signs.

"It's a serious offense if you go past those signs," he said.

People who enter the restricted area can be charged with "unlawful disturbance of the nest of a threatened species," Martin said.

"That's a misdemeanor punishable by a $500 to $2,500 fine and up to 6 months in jail," he said.

There are two primary reasons for establishing the restricted area, according to Martin.

One is for public safety.

"Once the eggs hatch, those eagles will become fiercely protective of their nest," Martin said. "Somebody who goes near that nest might find themselves with a face full of talons."

The second reason is that bald eagles are a threatened species and if there's a chance that one or more new eagles can be born and raised in the wild, then the Game Commission wants to foster that opportunity as much as possible.

"If people start walking around back there, the eagles might flush, and there's a chance they could abandon the nest," Martin said. "We don't want to take that chance."

The nesting eagles have become popular among bird enthusiasts ever since they started building their abode of sticks back in October.

Martin said he and his deputies kept an eye on the nest during the ensuing months to see if the birds would abandon it or start incubating.

This is the first year bald eagles have built a nest on this site.

"You never know what they're going to do with their first nest," Martin said.

The birds hung around the nest through December and January and, on Feb. 7, Martin saw what he'd been waiting for — the nonstop presence of one of the eagles in the nest.

That told him the eagles are incubating one or more eggs.

Word about the eagles has spread, and more and more people have been stopping by the Amish farm where the birds have built their nest.

According to Martin, the eagles have grown tolerant of the normal, human activity on the farm.

But when eager birdwatchers have wandered down the farm lane off North Hollander Road to get a closer look at the nest, the eagles have flushed.

"If the disturbance is frequent enough, they will abandon the nest," he said. "There's just no need to disturb that nest at this time."

Martin said he informed club officials at Penn Dutch about his intention to keep trout anglers, and everyone else, off the section of Mill Creek between North Hollander and Centerville roads.

"They completely understood why that's necessary," he said.

Martin initially planned to prohibit access to the stream anywhere between the two roads. But after talking with Penn Dutch officials, he learned there are popular fishing holes between the roads, right at the bridges.

"Anglers will still have access to those holes," Martin said. "That should still be far enough away from the nest."

For those who want to view the eagles and their nest, Martin said the Zeltenreich United Church of Christ parking lot at North Hollander and Peters roads offers a perfect bird's-eye vantage point.

And church officials are OK with the visitors.

E-mail: preilly@lnpnews.com