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Lehigh River Fishing Report

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

The Lehigh’s comeback: cold releases and wild trout in a gorge that used to run acid, an hour from Philadelphia.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
1,510 cfs
Air / High
83 / 83 F
Wind
WNW 12 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01453000, 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.

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

Lehigh River feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 1,510 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind WNW around 12 mph, rising pressure near 1011 hPa and a high of 83. Water sits around 54 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

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

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 Lehigh River at Bethlehem.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01453000.

1,0471,5452,0421,510 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp83 F
High / Low83 / 71 F
WindWNW 12-19 mph
Pressure1011.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain24% cloud, 30%
Sunrise / Sunset06:33 / 19:30
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Storms, 83/71 F, wind 12 mph, rain 30%

Fair or better. A 12 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

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

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Lehigh 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
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 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 Lehigh River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 87 F, wind to 10 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 72 F, wind to 6 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 89 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 plus trout permit for trout water. Special regulations apply on some reaches: check current PFBC rules.

Access

Lehigh Gorge State Park trail access (White Haven, Rockport, Jim Thorpe); river access points downstream through Bowmanstown and Walnutport.

About this water

A 109-mile river from the Poconos to the Delaware at Easton, Pennsylvania: cold tailwater trout above, smallmouth below.

Fishing Lehigh River: the full guide

A river restored

The Lehigh River runs 109 miles from the Pocono plateau through a deep gorge to the Delaware at Easton, and its recovery is one of Pennsylvania’s conservation stories: from acid mine drainage and industrial abuse to a river holding wild brown trout, stocked rainbows and a growing smallmouth fishery downstream. Cold releases from Francis E. Walter Dam sustain trout through the summer in the gorge section.

The gorge trout water

From White Haven down through the Lehigh Gorge State Park, the river holds wild browns and stocked trout in pocket water, ledges and deep runs. Nymphing the seams with stoneflies and caddis pupae produces year-round; hatches include Hendricksons, sulphurs and a strong caddis population. Access is by rail-trail bicycle or foot, which keeps pressure lower than roadside rivers.

Releases and rafting

The Walter Dam release schedule governs everything: recreational whitewater releases raise the river dramatically on published dates, and cold-water releases in summer keep temperatures fishable. Check the schedule before every trip: a rafting day means a different river entirely. Between releases, the gorge offers excellent wading in moderate flows.

Below the gorge

From Jim Thorpe downstream the river warms and smallmouth take over, with a solid population through Bowmanstown, Walnutport and toward Allentown. It is good float water for canoes and kayaks in summer, with the added benefit of urban access. The lower river also holds walleye and channel catfish for anglers fishing the deeper pools.

Common questions

Are the trout wild?

The gorge holds wild brown trout alongside stocking, sustained by cold releases from Francis E. Walter Dam.

How do I reach the gorge water?

Lehigh Gorge State Park’s rail-trail: walk or bike in from White Haven, Rockport or Jim Thorpe. The effort keeps crowds down.

Do rafting releases matter?

Enormously: scheduled whitewater releases change the river completely. Check the release calendar before going.

Is fishing good at Lehigh 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

Beltzville Lake5 miBlue Marsh Lake34 miLake Nockamixon36 miMusconetcong River37 miLake Wallenpaupack48 miRound Valley Reservoir48 mi
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