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Juniata River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Pennsylvania’s smallmouth river: the Juniata runs warm, wide and ledge-strewn through the ridges to the Susquehanna.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
4,400 cfs
Air / High
84 / 84 F
Wind
WNW 10 mph

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

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 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.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Juniata River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The river is running 4,400 cfs, on the rise. Today brings a mixed sky, wind WNW around 10 mph, rising pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 84. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

WalleyeExcellent

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

MuskellungeExcellent

Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel)Excellent

Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 78 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Juniata River at Newport.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01567000.

2,3534,2356,1174,400 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp84 F
High / Low84 / 71 F
WindWNW 10-17 mph
Pressure1012.3 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain58% cloud, 49%
Sunrise / Sunset06:39 / 19:36
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 84/71 F, wind 11 mph, rain 49%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

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: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Best: Sep-Nov

The fish of ten thousand casts. Weed edges, rock bars and big-water structure. Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

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
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 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, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 88 F, wind to 9 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 78 F, wind to 9 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 92 F, wind to 9 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 license. Smallmouth have seasonal harvest restrictions on many big rivers: check current PFBC regulations for the Juniata.

Access

PFBC access sites at Newport, Millerstown, Thompsontown and along the Route 22 corridor.

About this water

A 104-mile warmwater river through central Pennsylvania joining the Susquehanna at Duncannon: premier smallmouth water.

Fishing Juniata River: the full guide

A valley river

The Juniata River gathers the Little Juniata, Raystown Branch and Frankstown Branch and runs 104 miles east through central Pennsylvania’s ridge-and-valley country to the Susquehanna at Duncannon. It is one of the state’s premier smallmouth rivers: shallow, wide, ledge-and-riffle water that floats beautifully and wades easily, with rock bass, walleye, catfish and muskellunge sharing the water.

Smallmouth season

The river fishes from May through October, with summer prime: work the ledges, current seams and deeper slots with tubes, Ned rigs, small crankbaits and topwater at dawn. Crayfish are the main forage, so brown and green patterns dominate. Fish average 10-14 inches with better fish in the deeper holes below rapids. The river warms substantially in summer, which concentrates fish near riffles and springs.

Muskie and walleye

Pennsylvania stocks muskellunge in the Juniata, and fish past forty inches hold in the deeper, slower pools: big rubber and glide baits in fall and spring. Walleye run the lower river and stack below the riffles, taking jigs and crankbaits in low light. Both are underfished compared with the smallmouth, which draw most of the attention.

Floating the Juniata

Access points are frequent along Route 22 and the river road corridor, with commission access sites at Newport, Millerstown, Thompsontown and others. Canoe and kayak floats of 5-10 miles are the classic approach, with shuttles easy to arrange between bridges. Flows matter: the Newport gauge running 500-2,000 cfs floats well, while summer lows make wading the better plan.

Common questions

When is the smallmouth fishing best?

June through September, with early mornings and evenings producing the most surface action in warm water.

Is it good for floating?

Excellent: frequent access points make 5-10 mile floats easy, and the river is gentle enough for canoes and kayaks.

Are there really muskie?

Yes: stocked and holding in the deeper pools, with fish past forty inches taken each year by dedicated anglers.

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: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

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