Wade69/100
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
All Pennsylvania reports
Fly fishing report · Northeast
Clarion River
Is Clarion River worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Pennsylvania before you go.
See the flow chart ↓Photo: Chris Light Opens in a new tab. · CC BY-SA 4.0
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Caution
Maybe. Read the cautions first.
69
No clear best access mode. Wade and Float have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
See update time and confidence
Live data checkHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Today's callMediumWater temperature not verified; do not use this score to clear warm-water risk.
Score calculated Aug 22, 2026, 10:51 PM EDTUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Access choicesNo clear best mode
Wade and Float have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
Bank / edgeNot recommended
This report does not recommend bank fishing on this reach.
Float69/100
A float is in play where this report supports boat access and wind, releases, and shuttle logistics are manageable.
Your plan
Today's Clarion River plan.
The Clarion around Cooksburg is best treated as a mixed fly-fishing river: smallmouth and float planning matter, while trout opportunity is more section-by-section upstream or in special sections. Use the Cooksburg gauge for the main river plan.
- Check first
- USGS 03029500 is the best main river gauge for this page.
- Try
- Pick the fishery first: main river smallmouth, upper trout, or float-and-scout day.
- Leave when
- Skip or pivot when main river flow is pushy, strainers or boat logistics are not sorted out, water is too warm for trout handling, storms are nearby, or trout reach rules are not confirmed.
Live river check
What the river is doing
Check the latest flow and weather before you go. A quick change can make the river harder or less safe to fish.
Showing the latest stored river check while current readings load.
- Flow
- 695 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
- Air now
- 61°F
Current NWS forecast period
- Next 24h high
- 69.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 62%
For this forecast period
This is an air forecast, not a river-temperature reading. Check the water with a stream thermometer before fishing in hot weather.
Latest stored weather check
Patchy Fog
Patchy Fog
- Wind
- 3 mph
- Weather checked
Recent flow chart is loading
The latest stored reading is shown above. Check the official source below if you need the newest value now.
More forecast and source details
National Weather Service
Cooksburg, Pennsylvania
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
Latest stored USGS gauge: Clarion River at Cooksburg
From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
How to fish it
How to fish Clarion River today.
Stable, clear flows make the main river better for smallmouth and streamer work. Cooler spring and fall windows can bring more trout-style tactics into the plan.
Stable medium flow
Fish boulder edges, ledges, shade banks, and current breaks with streamers, nymphs, and crayfish.
Low clear summer flow
Use smaller streamers, poppers, long casts, and early or late light.
High water
Shift to safe banks, boat planning, or a smaller backup creek.
Cool spring/fall water
Bring trout nymphs and soft hackles for upper sections where legal and practical.
Fishing words used on this page
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge
- A USGS gauge is an official river station that measures flow or water height.
- Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC)
- PFBC is the Pennsylvania agency that sets fishing rules and manages fish and access programs.
- Cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Blue-winged olive (BWO)
- Blue-winged olives, or BWOs, are small mayflies that often hatch in cool or cloudy weather.
- Caddis
- Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
- Dry-dropper
- A dry-dropper rig has a floating fly with an underwater fly tied below it.
- Emerger
- An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
- Jig nymph
- A jig nymph is a weighted underwater fly made to ride with its hook point up.
- Midge
- Midges are tiny flies and a common trout food, especially in cold water.
Why this call
Why this score
FlowUse caution
USGS shows 695 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1939-2025, 87 readings) show a median near 388 cfs and the upper quartile near 644 cfs; today's flow is high for the date. Fishable water may exist, but do not rate it highly without a safe access, clarity, and wading or boat plan.
Best mode nowUse caution
Wade: Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
SeasonHelps
Summer: Mainstem smallmouth is often the best fly plan.
WeatherHelps
The current NWS air forecast is about 61F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 69F. Patchy Fog.
Public alertsHelps
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
Trip notes
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Use USGS 03029500 at Cooksburg for the main river plan and USGS 03028500 at Johnsonburg for upper-river context. Stable readable flow is best. High water, poor exits, or warm trout conditions should change the plan.
Skip or pivot when main river flow is pushy, strainers or boat logistics are not sorted out, water is too warm for trout handling, storms are nearby, or trout reach rules are not confirmed.
Start with the Cooksburg gauge, PFBC water-trail guidance, current rules, and one realistic access or float plan. Decide whether the day is main river smallmouth, upper trout, or a mixed scout before rigging.
If the Clarion is high, crowded, too warm, or logistically awkward, compare the Allegheny River for a larger tailwater plan, Oil Creek for smaller trout water, or Slippery Rock Creek for a different western Pennsylvania option.
What to try
Clarion River flies through the year.
Match the time of year, then let rising fish and current speed guide the next change.
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
January to March
What to look forMidges, little black stones, BWOs, and slow nymph windows
April to June
What to look forHendricksons, March Browns, sulphurs, caddis, BWOs, and spinner falls
July to SeptemberCurrent
What to look forTricos where present, ants, beetles, hoppers, and shade-line terrestrials
Flies to try
October to December
What to look forBWOs, midges, caddis remnants, and streamer windows after rain
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
Access and safety
Clarion River access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter. Check the PFBC summary book and water-specific rules before fishing. Trout and warmwater rules differ by reach and season.
Cooksburg area
Primary main river flow and access orientation for this page.
Clarion River water trail
Use PFBC resources for ramps, float distances, and trip timing.
Upper/West Branch trout context
Treat these as separate rule checks, not the same plan as the lower main river.
The Clarion is a better page when it separates main river smallmouth from section-by-section trout reach details.
Use water-trail access and current conditions before planning a float.
Remote banks and strainers can turn a casual float into a safety issue.
River sources
Official Clarion River sources.
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This Clarion River report is maintained from Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulations, PFBC trout classification information, PFBC Clarion water-trail access guidance, USGS Cooksburg and Johnsonburg flow data, weather, media-credit, and western Pennsylvania mainstem planning sources.
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.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
See all 6 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
Quick answers
Quick Clarion River answers.
What should I check first before fishing the Clarion River?
Check USGS 03029500 at Cooksburg, then decide whether your day is a main river smallmouth plan or a section-by-section trout plan.
Where should a first-time visitor start on the Clarion River?
Start around Cooksburg and the PFBC water trail for main river orientation.
Can I wade the Clarion River?
Some wading is possible, but the Clarion is a main river. Treat higher flows as boat or bank-only conditions.
What flies should I bring for the Clarion River?
Bring the seasonal fly box, a few confidence nymphs or streamers, and enough tippet to change when flow, clarity, temperature, or pressure changes.