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Cranberry River Fishing Report

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

West Virginia’s wilderness trout stream: the Cranberry runs native brookies through a roadless forest.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
26 cfs
Air / High
79 / 79 F
Wind
WNW 8 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 03187500, 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.

Cranberry River sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 26 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind WNW around 8 mph, rising pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 79. Water sits around 66 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

Brook troutGood

Prime pocket-water fishing. Work upstream with an attractor dry or a dry-dropper, hitting every seam behind boulders and the head of each plunge pool. Short casts, quiet feet.

Brown troutGood

Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

Rainbow troutGood

Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

Tomorrow: Similar at 75 F with a rain chance. 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 Cranberry River near Richwood.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 03187500.

15238762226 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp79 F
High / Low79 / 63 F
WindWNW 8-17 mph
Pressure1014.1 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain12% cloud, 19%
Sunrise / Sunset06:53 / 19:46
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 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 · Showers, 79/63 F, wind 16 mph, rain 19%

Fair or better. A 16 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

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

Brook trout illustration

Brook trout

Best: May-Jun and Sep-Oct

North America’s native char: a small-stream specialist that demands cold, clean water and repays it with the prettiest fish in the woods. Prime pocket-water fishing. Work upstream with an attractor dry or a dry-dropper, hitting every seam behind boulders and the head of each plunge pool. Short casts, quiet feet.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

When to come: the Cranberry 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
Brook trout
Brown trout
Rainbow trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 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 Cranberry 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. Brook trout led the card at excellent. High of 79 F, wind to 6 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Brook trout led the card at excellent. High of 80 F, wind to 6 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Brook trout led the card at excellent. High of 76 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

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

Regulations

West Virginia license plus trout stamp for stocked water. Catch-and-release fly-fishing-only sections apply: check current WVDNR regulations.

Access

Cranberry Campground and the gated forest road into the backcountry; bicycles are popular for covering distance.

About this water

A wilderness trout stream in the Monongahela National Forest, Nicholas and Webster counties, West Virginia.

Fishing Cranberry River: the full guide

A river you walk into

The Cranberry River flows through the Monongahela National Forest of eastern West Virginia, with its upper reaches running through a roadless backcountry area closed to vehicles: anglers walk or bike in on the old forest road. Native brook trout hold the headwaters, with stocked rainbows and browns in the more accessible lower water.

Brook trout upstream

The wilderness reaches hold native brook trout in classic Appalachian pocket water: small dry flies, careful approaches and short casts in tight, rhododendron-lined water. The walk in is the point, and the further you go the better the solitude. The Cranberry Glades botanical area sits nearby, adding to the wild character.

Stocked water below

West Virginia stocks the lower river with rainbows and browns, providing accessible fishing from the campgrounds and road access points. The catch-and-release fly-fishing-only section offers better fishing than the general water. Spring and fall are the seasons; summer warms the lower river while the headwaters stay cold.

Nicholas County logistics

Access is via the Cranberry Campground and the gated forest road, with bicycles a popular way to cover the miles into the backcountry. Richwood is the nearest town. This is remote country with no services once you leave the road: carry what you need and tell someone your plan.

Common questions

Can I drive in?

Not to the upper river: it is closed to vehicles. Walk or bike the old forest road, which is part of the appeal.

Are there native brook trout?

Yes, in the headwaters: classic Appalachian pocket water reached on foot or by bike.

Is there easier fishing?

Yes: the lower river is stocked and accessible from the campground and road points.

Is fishing good at Cranberry 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

Summersville Lake27 miLake Moomaw33 miGreenbrier River39 miJackson River39 miElk River43 miNew River Gorge44 mi
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