Photo: Oceangod8 Opens in a new tab. · Public domain; historical photograph; cropped for display Opens in a new tab. · Photographed October 9, 2006; exact-creek historical photograph; not today's conditions.
Poor steelhead timing. Do not make a steelhead-only trip from this gauge alone.
No access method is recommended today. Skip a steelhead-only trip for now. Recheck USGS 04213319, target timing, weather alerts, current New York rules, and a signed legal access before choosing another window.
Check first: Water temperature not verified; do not use this score to clear warm-water risk. USGS 04213319 and the Hawley Road forecast can be current, but they do not verify water temperature, visibility, fish presence, exact legal access, local depth, footing, ice, fishing pressure, fishing quality, the South Gale Street special reach, or the upper gorge.
Rating updatedRiver local time:
Pre-run September window: NYSDEC says adults may begin appearing around mid-September, so September 1–14 is too early for this report to recommend a steelhead-only trip. The Hawley Road flow cannot confirm fish presence.
NWS air forecast near
This is an air forecast, not a river-temperature reading. Check the water with a stream thermometer before fishing in hot weather.
Discharge
Latest reading: 20 cfs. Falling over about 6 hours. Chart covers Sep 5 through Sep 12; readings are provisional and may be revised.
Mostly Clear
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Current U.S. Geological Survey gauge: Chautauqua Creek below Westfield at Hawley Road
Seasonal starting points, not a live hatch report. Match what you see on the water.
Choose the legal reach and the one row matching the month. These are pictured artificial-fly planning choices with starting sizes and presentations, not a claim that a hatch, steelhead run, or bite is happening now.
Every displayed recommendation opens a matching artificial-fly guide with a reviewed photograph. Adjust size and color to the water you observe because this gauge does not measure visibility.
A fresh, stable lower-gauge reading can support a short Hawley Road-area bank check when the target, rules, weather, visibility, temperature, and access also line up. It cannot announce that the steelhead run is in, clear another reach, or make a crossing safe.
Primary seven-day discharge source for today's lower-creek score. The station also reports local gage height, but neither value establishes visibility, fish presence, legal access, or safe wading.
The lower gauge is downstream context only for this 1.3-mile catch-and-release section. Confirm its exact water, temperature, visibility, footing, and access onsite.
The Hawley Road reading is broader downstream context, not an upper-gorge measurement. Smaller stream inflow, road and trail condition, ice, private boundaries, and the gorge exit require separate checks.
The configured station has no current continuous water temperature series and does not measure visibility, bacteria, fish presence, local depth, footing, pressure, parking, or fishing quality.
No access method is recommended in today's conditions. Review the live river and weather checks before making another plan.
Not recommended today. Recheck the river, weather, and access before planning another trip.
Not recommended today. Recheck the river, weather, and access before planning another trip.
This report does not recommend floating this reach.
Today's score uses USGS 04213319 on the lower creek at Hawley Road. It does not rate the South Gale Street special reach or the upper gorge, so choose a legal reach and check its rules, access, temperature, visibility, and footing before fishing.
USGS 04213319 measures not yet confirmed discharge and local gage height on lower Chautauqua Creek at Hawley Road. It does not measure water temperature, visibility, fish presence, the South Gale Street special reach, the upper PFR / gorge, legal access, footing, pressure, fishing quality, or safe wading.
Pre-run September window: NYSDEC says adults may begin appearing around mid-September, so September 1–14 is too early for this report to recommend a steelhead-only trip. The Hawley Road flow cannot confirm fish presence.
USGS 04213319 at Hawley Road reports discharge and local gage height but not current continuous water temperature. Measure the exact reach with a stream thermometer. Choose another water at 68°F or warmer.
USGS shows 20 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (2017-2025, 9 readings) show a typical middle range of 5 cfs to 26 cfs. USGS 04213319 measures provisional discharge and local gage height on lower Chautauqua Creek at Hawley Road, about 1,400 feet upstream of I-90 and 1.3 miles from the Lake Erie mouth. It does not measure water temperature, visibility, fish presence, the South Gale Street special reach, upper PFR and gorge water, legal access, local depth, footing, ice, fishing pressure, fishing quality, or safe wading. RiverReports and other Lake Erie tributary gauges must not replace or be averaged into this lower-creek score. The same-date comparison uses 2017-2025 gauge records; use that older record as context, not a current normal-flow threshold. Flow is within the typical range for this date, so weather, temperature, and access become the next checks.
The current NWS air forecast is about 58F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 79F. Mostly Clear.
Skip or leave for a stale or missing gauge, sharp rise, thunderstorm or flood alert, unverified reach or access, warm local water, poor visibility, shelf ice, unsafe footing, or a gorge plan without an easy exit.
Use a fresh USGS 04213319 reading and trend only for the lower creek near Hawley Road. No universal cfs number proves steelhead presence, good fishing, visibility, legal access, or safe wading.
Skip or leave for a stale or missing gauge, sharp rise, thunderstorm or flood alert, unverified reach or access, warm local water, poor visibility, shelf ice, unsafe footing, or a gorge plan without an easy exit.
Check USGS 04213319, choose the exact target and legal reach, confirm current rules and one signed access, review the forecast, and inspect water temperature, visibility, current, and footing before fishing.
Compare Cattaraugus Creek or another water only after starting a separate gauge, visibility, access, rule, target, and weather check for that river.
When: Legally open all year in covered Lake Erie tributary water; main run typically mid-October through April
Minimum length 12 inches and daily limit three trout and salmon in combination outside a stricter special reach. Verify the exact reach, current run evidence, and trip-date rules before fishing or keeping a fish.
When: Open all year in covered Lake Erie tributary water
Minimum length 12 inches and daily limit three trout and salmon in combination. This legal season is not a current fish-presence or bite claim.
When: Year-round; artificial lures only
Applies from the South Gale Street bridge upstream 1.3 miles to the upper Village of Westfield water-intake dam. The September 1–March 31 Lake Erie tributary hook rules also apply.
When: December 1–June 14: 20-inch minimum, one daily; June 15–November 30: 12-inch minimum, five daily
Treat this as a separate lower-reach target and verify the trip-date rule. The Hawley Road score remains a steelhead-focused lower-creek planning score.
Open the official map or state-land page before driving. A gauge, bridge, PFR line, trail, or parking symbol does not establish every legal use or prove that the water is safe.
Use the trip-date 2026 New York fishing guide, current Great Lakes tributary rules, and onsite signs. In covered Lake Erie tributary water, brown trout, rainbow trout including steelhead, coho, and Chinook are open all year with a 12-inch minimum and a daily limit of three in combination. From the bridge closest to the mouth upstream to the first fish-impassable barrier, September 1 through March 31 fishing is limited to one-half hour before sunrise through one-half hour after sunset, hook gap cannot exceed one-half inch, and lure hooks must be free-swinging except artificial flies and jigs. From South Gale Street upstream 1.3 miles to the upper Village of Westfield water-intake dam, trout and salmon are catch-and-release and artificial lures only. That special rule does not cover the whole creek. Snatching is prohibited, foul-hooked fish must be released, and fish eggs cannot be used for chumming.
| River section and season | Fishing rules |
|---|---|
| Lake Erie tributary rule boundarycheck the exact lower reach | Brown trout, rainbow trout including steelhead, coho, and Chinook are open all year in covered Lake Erie tributary water, with a 12-inch minimum and daily limit three in combination. Separately, from the bridge closest to the mouth upstream to the first fish-impassable barrier, September 1 through March 31 fishing is limited to one-half hour before sunrise through one-half hour after sunset, hook gap cannot exceed one-half inch, and lure hooks must be free-swinging except artificial flies and jigs. Confirm the exact bridge and barrier on the current rule source before fishing. Official rule |
| South Gale Street to upper Westfield water-intake dam | For 1.3 miles upstream from the South Gale Street bridge, trout and salmon are catch-and-release only and artificial lures only. The seasonal Lake Erie tributary hook restrictions also apply September 1 through March 31. Official rule |
| Upper PFR and gorge water | Use the current guide and DEC access map to confirm whether the exact water is inside the Great Lakes tributary boundary and which rule applies. PFR or state-land access does not itself define a season, limit, creek-bed right, or safe route. Official rule |
| Chautauqua Lake and Barcelona Harborseparate waterbody plan | This creek score, chart, access, and fly plan do not cover Chautauqua Lake, Lake Erie harbor boating, walleye, or other lake and harbor trips. Official rule |
Use USGS 04213319 as lower-creek flow context only. The Hawley Road bridge and gauge do not establish legal parking, bank entry, a launch, fish presence, or safe water.
Site detailsThe generalized DEC PFR map marks an angler lot on Sherman Road and a footpath toward the South Gale / Fort Street bridge, the lower special-reach boundary. Verify the current map, signs, parking, path, and exact easement before entering.
Site detailsDEC maps roughly 8.5 miles of PFR around lower Westfield / Barcelona, Waterworks / NY-394, Taylor / Bloomer, and Putnam / Nettle Hill planning areas. The map is not survey quality and does not promise parking or access at every labeled road.
Site detailsDEC lists the Hannum Road day-use parking area at 42.239986, -79.587203 and nearby trailhead at 42.239951, -79.585262. The state owns very little creek bed, Hannum Road is not plowed in winter, and travel beyond state ownership may be trespass.
Site detailsUSGS, NYSDEC, and National Weather Service sources were checked September 2, 2026. No field visit, live hatch, current bite, fish-presence check, water-temperature reading, visibility reading, safe-wading inspection, parking availability, or private-bank permission is claimed.
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
What was checked: Official sources support the lower gauge boundary, Great Lakes and special-reach rules, PFR and state-forest access limits, steelhead timing, and weather. Fly choices are editorial planning suggestions. No field visit, live hatch, current run, bite report, fish presence, water temperature, visibility, safe-wading clearance, parking availability, or private-bank permission is claimed.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Yes. The seven-day discharge chart uses USGS 04213319 at Hawley Road on the lower creek. That station does not measure the South Gale Street special reach, the upper gorge, visibility, fish presence, access, or safe wading.
No current continuous water-temperature series is available from the configured station. Carry a thermometer, measure the exact reach, and stop fishing for coldwater fish at 68°F or warmer.
The calendar cannot prove that fish are present. NYSDEC says adults may begin appearing around mid-September and the bulk of the Lake Erie tributary run is generally mid-October through April. Combine that timing with current same-reach evidence before making a steelhead-only trip.
Trout and salmon are catch-and-release and artificial-lure only from the South Gale Street bridge upstream 1.3 miles to the upper Village of Westfield water-intake dam. The whole creek is not under that special rule.
Use the DEC PFR map and DECinfo for the exact signed area, or the official Chautauqua Gorge State Forest page for that separate upper plan. A PFR line is a fishing-and-walking easement, not a public park or permission to cross other private land.
The score is not a safety clearance. Wade only a protected edge after checking same-reach current, depth, visibility, footing, ice, and the exit. This report does not recommend floating because no authoritative fishing launch, takeout, route, or permission plan was verified.
Use the pictured row for the current month, legal target, and reach. Start with its listed size and presentation, then adjust to the water and feeding you actually observe. The list is editorial planning guidance, not a live hatch, run, or bite report.
No. This page covers Chautauqua Creek near Westfield. Chautauqua Lake, Barcelona Harbor, Lake Erie boating, walleye, and other lake or harbor plans need their own conditions, access, rules, and sources.
