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Juniata River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The lower Juniata through Perry and Juniata counties: bass are catch-and-release all year below Port Royal, with PFBC ramps every few miles to the Susquehanna.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
1,680 cfs
Air / High
62 / 62 F
Wind
NE 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01567000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Tap a marker for today's tip
Friday
23
October 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Juniata River is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. The river is running 1,680 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind NE around 5 mph, rising pressure near 1027 hPa and a high of 62. Water sits around 62 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:42 AM-11:42 AM and 10:11 PM-12:11 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

Brown troutExcellent

Close to Vermont's 53-66°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

Smallmouth bassGood

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

WalleyeGood

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Largemouth bassGood

In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Tomorrow: Similar at 59 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Pennsylvania requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $27.97 for residents. What a Pennsylvania licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing smallmouth bass here? Check the size and bag limits with PFBC before you keep anything. The season dates for Pennsylvania, read off the agency, are on the Pennsylvania seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Juniata River at Newport.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01567000.

2,5084,8257,1421,680 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 127 years of October 23

At 1,680 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 01567000 (Juniata River at Newport) is at the 64th percentile for the date: normal. In half of the 127 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 1,080 cfs; the highest was 43,200 cfs and the lowest 280 cfs.

p10 570median 1,080p90 5,368

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 01567000; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp62 F
High / Low62 / 41 F
WindNE 5-6 mph
Pressure1026.6 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain2% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset07:28 / 18:16
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~62 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Which day to fish Juniata River this week

The best day on Juniata River this week looks like Sunday Oct 25, at 4 out of 5, against 2 today.

Best day this week: Sunday, Oct 25 — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 — Tough

Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Solunar majors
9:42 AM-11:42 AM and 10:11 PM-12:11 AM
Minor period
4:04 AM-5:04 AM
Sun
07:28 to 18:16
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 6 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

The species that matter on Juniata River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Fished from late spring into late fall where seasons allow

Muskellunge are solitary, fish-eating ambush predators of the pike family, holding in weed beds and other cover in lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes, upper Mississippi and Ohio basins. This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Spring along Great Lakes shorelines; low light and overcast days in rivers; fall spawning runs

A European trout first stocked in the US in 1883 and now fished in rivers and lakes nationwide; it tolerates warmer water than other trout, and mature stream fish feed mostly at night. Close to Vermont's 53-66°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

When to come: the Juniata River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Largemouth bass
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 62 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~62 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Juniata River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 67 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 65 F, wind to 8 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 70 F, wind to 11 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Pennsylvania requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Pennsylvania fishing license. Bass: no harvest, catch-and-immediate-release all year from the SR 75 bridge at Port Royal to the mouth (31.7 mi), including tributaries for ½ mile; no tournaments April 11–June 12. Rock bass 10 per day on the Juniata and tributaries (PFBC 2026 Fishing Summary).

Access

PFBC ramps and accesses on the lower river include Thompsontown, Greenwood, Newport (primitive), Howe Township Park (primitive) and Amity Hall; Millerstown Community Park has a primitive access (PFBC water trail guide).

About this water

The lower Juniata River from Port Royal through Perry County to the Susquehanna at Duncannon, Pennsylvania.

Fishing Juniata River: the full guide

The river

The Juniata's headwaters rise on the eastern slopes of the Allegheny Front at about 3,000 feet, and its waters cut through the Ridge and Valley Province for more than 150 miles, dropping to 340 feet at the Susquehanna at Duncannon. The watershed drains 3,400 square miles through more than 6,500 miles of streams, and its three main tributaries are the Little Juniata, the Frankstown Branch and the Raystown Branch, according to the PFBC water trail guide, which pictures muskellunge, brown trout, rock bass, smallmouth bass and walleye among the watershed's fish.

Bass: no harvest below Port Royal

From the SR 75 bridge at Port Royal down to the mouth, a 31.7-mile reach that includes all tributaries for half a mile upstream, PFBC makes smallmouth and largemouth bass catch-and-immediate-release only, all year. Catch-measure-release tournaments are allowed from January 1 to April 10 and June 13 to December 31, and none are allowed from April 11 to June 12. Rock bass on the Juniata and its tributaries have a daily limit of 10 and an open season all year.

Floating the lower river

The water trail guide puts float speed at about 2 to 3 miles per hour and gives 3.5 feet on the Newport gauge, the USGS station on this page, as the minimum level for paddling. It warns of ledges and rapid current at several points, including mile 10.5 and the rock bars near the mouth.

Common questions

Can I keep bass on the lower Juniata?

No. From the SR 75 bridge at Port Royal to the mouth, all smallmouth and largemouth bass must be released immediately, every day of the year.

What river level is good for floating?

PFBC's water trail guide gives 3.5 feet on the Newport gauge as the minimum paddling level for this part of the river.

Where can I launch a boat near Newport?

PFBC's guide lists the Greenwood ramp upstream, a primitive access in Newport itself, Howe Township Park and the Amity Hall ramp near the mouth.

Is fishing good at Juniata River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Yellow Breeches Creek19 miPenns Creek27 miWest Branch Susquehanna River37 miSpring Creek43 miSusquehanna River43 miRaystown Lake52 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 01567000 — Juniata River at Newport
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 17:15 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 40.4700, -77.1300 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 5, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 5, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.