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Penns Creek Fishing Report

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

Pennsylvania’s green drake cathedral: Penns runs big, wild and difficult through a limestone gorge that empties every fly shop in May.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
1,560 cfs
Air / High
78 / 79 F
Wind
WNW 9 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01555000, 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Penns Creek feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 1,560 cfs, on the rise. Today brings cloud cover, wind WNW around 9 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 79. 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 72 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 Penns Creek at Penns Creek.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01555000.

6661,6612,6551,560 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp78 F
High / Low79 / 69 F
WindWNW 9-17 mph
Pressure1012.5 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain74% cloud, 53%
Sunrise / Sunset06:39 / 19:37
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 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 79/69 F, wind 11 mph, rain 53%

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 Penns Creek: 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 Penns Creek 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 Penns Creek 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 83 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 77 F, wind to 21 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 86 F, wind to 10 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

Catch-and-release all-tackle on designated gorge water; standard trout rules elsewhere. Pennsylvania license plus trout permit required: check current PFBC boundaries.

Access

Coburn, Ingleby, Poe Paddy State Park and Cherry Run; the railroad-grade trail serves the roadless gorge.

About this water

A 70-mile limestone-influenced wild trout stream through Centre, Mifflin and Union counties, Pennsylvania, joining the Susquehanna near Selinsgrove.

Fishing Penns Creek: the full guide

The wild one

Penns Creek rises from Penns Cave in Centre County and runs 70 miles to the Susquehanna, but the famous water is the limestone-fed reach from Coburn through the gorge to Cherry Run: big water by Pennsylvania standards, wild brown trout throughout, and a green drake hatch that draws anglers from across the country every late May. It is Class A wild trout water with a reputation for being technically difficult and physically demanding: rocky wading, remote access and educated fish.

The drake, and the rest of the year

The green drake emergence around the last week of May is a genuine event: enormous mayflies, big browns feeding recklessly at dusk, and every parking spot in Coburn taken. Before and after: Hendricksons in April, sulphurs from mid-May, tricos in summer mornings, and slate drakes through fall. The gorge fishes well with nymphs year-round: stoneflies and caddis pupae through the deep pocket water when nothing is hatching.

Fishing the gorge

Below Coburn the creek enters a roadless gorge accessible only by the old railroad grade trail: a mile of walking buys real solitude even in drake week. The water is heavy and the wading serious: felt or studded boots and a staff are not optional. Fish the deep pockets and current seams with weighted nymphs, and be in position at dusk during hatch season. Summer heat pushes the lower gorge past safe temps: fish the spring-influenced upper water.

Access and etiquette

Coburn, Ingleby and Poe Paddy State Park anchor the gorge access; the catch-and-release all-tackle section runs through the heart of it. Cherry Run and Weikert serve the lower end. Respect the private water between public reaches, and expect company during hatch weeks. Millheim and State College supply flies, food and lodging thirty minutes out.

Common questions

When is the green drake hatch?

Typically the last week of May into early June, moving upstream through the gorge. Expect crowds, big fish and short, frantic evening windows.

How hard is the wading?

Genuinely difficult: bowling-ball rocks, heavy current and no easy exits in the gorge. Studs, a staff and a partner are the sensible minimum.

Is it worth fishing outside drake season?

Absolutely: sulphurs in June, tricos in summer and nymphing all year on wild browns, with a fraction of the anglers.

Is fishing good at Penns Creek right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Spring Creek25 miWest Branch Susquehanna River25 miJuniata River27 miLittle Juniata River45 miYellow Breeches Creek46 miPine Creek49 mi
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