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All Pennsylvania reports
First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek at Wharton
Photo: Yinan Chen Opens in a new tab. · Public domain
Should I go fishing?
Go with caution.
No single best way to fish. Wading and Bank fishing have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
Check first: Water temperature not verified; do not use this score to clear warm-water risk. USGS 01543700, weather, and alerts support Wharton planning. Water temperature, clarity, roadside parking, bank ownership, and fish activity are not fully measured.
Fishing rating69
Rating updatedRiver local time:
Why this recommendation?
USGS 01543700 supports the Wharton flow decision but does not replace a water-temperature reading. Measure the exact reach and stop targeting trout at 70°F or warmer. Choose another water at 70°F or warmer.
Available live dataHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Confidence in this recommendationMediumWater temperature not verified; do not use this score to clear warm-water risk. USGS 01543700, weather, and alerts support Wharton planning. Water temperature, clarity, roadside parking, bank ownership, and fish activity are not fully measured.
Usually checks again about every 45 minutes
If you go
- Check first
- USGS 01543700 at Wharton is the exact live discharge source for this page.
- Try
- Start with the Wharton graph and watch trend direction after basin rain.
- Leave when
- Skip for rising water, warm trout temperatures, unsafe roadside parking, unclear bank rights, or an active official alert.
Flow and weather
Showing server-checked river conditions while current readings refresh.
- Flow
- 264 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
- Air forecast
- 53°F
- Next 24h high
- 72.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 0%
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
Mostly Cloudy
- Wind
- 1 mph
- Weather checked
More forecast and source details
Mostly Cloudy
National Weather Service
First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek at Wharton
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek at Wharton
Flies for this time of year
Seasonal starting points, not a live hatch report. Match what you see on the water.
- Ant PatternsAntView fly guide ↗
- Beetle PatternsbeetleView fly guide ↗
- Blue-Winged Olive PatternsBWOView fly guide ↗
- Zebra MidgeView fly guide ↗
- Woolly Buggersmall buggerView fly guide ↗
See flies for every season
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
March to April
What to look forMidges, small stoneflies, and early mayflies
April to May
What to look forQuills, caddis, and larger spring mayflies
Flies to try
May to June
What to look forSulphurs, caddis, and small mayflies
Summer to fallThis season
What to look forTerrestrials, olives, and midges
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
More fishing tips
Methods, fish species and trip notes
How to fish First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek at Wharton today.
Stable, clear-to-lightly stained flow and a legally confirmed entry create the best nymph, dry-dropper, and seasonal dry-fly plan. Rising water, unsafe roadside parking, or uncertain ownership should move the trip to a verified public alternative.
Stable and clear
Fish riffle edges, pocket seams, and tailouts with nymphs or a dry-dropper.
Light stain
Use larger nymphs, soft hackles, or a compact streamer along safe edges.
Rising or pushy
Avoid crossings and do not let a score override the local current.
Warm summer water
Carry a thermometer and stop targeting trout when safe release is doubtful.
Wading, bank fishing or floating?
Access choicesNo single best option
Wading and Bank fishing have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
Wading69/100
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
Bank fishing69/100
Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.
FloatingNot recommended
This report does not recommend floating this reach.
Full river report
Is First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek at Wharton worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Pennsylvania before you go.
First Fork is a distinct freestone decision. Check USGS 01543700 for the trend, confirm the Route 872/Schoolhouse Run-to-Berge Run rule section, and separately verify where you can park and enter. A nearby state park or another creek is not an access source for this reach.
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.
- Riffle
- A riffle is shallow, fast water broken by rocks.
- Seam
- A seam is the line where fast and slow water meet.
- Tailout
- A tailout is the shallow, slower water at the lower end of a pool.
- 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.
Why this call
Why this score
Water temperature checkUse caution
USGS 01543700 supports the Wharton flow decision but does not replace a water-temperature reading. Measure the exact reach and stop targeting trout at 70°F or warmer. Choose another water at 70°F or warmer.
Best mode nowUse caution
Wade: Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
FlowHelps
USGS shows 264 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. This is the clearest starting signal.
SeasonHelps
Late summer: Temperature and low flow become the first decisions, not hatch expectation.
WeatherHelps
The current NWS air forecast is about 53F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 72F. Mostly Cloudy.
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Favor a stable trend with defined pockets and safe near-bank entries. Use the graph and the actual Wharton reach together.
Skip for rising water, warm trout temperatures, unsafe roadside parking, unclear bank rights, or an active official alert.
Confirm the regulated section, locate a legal entry without assuming bridge parking, then fish a compact upstream or downstream segment.
Use verified access at Sinnemahoning State Park, Kettle Creek, or Pine Creek after checking each water's own live conditions.
First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek at Wharton access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter.
Before you go
PFBC's exact Wharton record identifies a Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only section from the Route 872 bridge at Schoolhouse Run to Berge Run. The current Pennsylvania summary, PFBC record, emergency notices, and posted signs are the legal authority. Verify dates, methods, harvest, and boundaries before fishing.
Where to access the river
Route 872 bridge at Schoolhouse Run boundary
A PFBC rule boundary and orientation point—not a guarantee of parking or bank access.
Wharton delayed-harvest reach
The regulated section extends downstream toward Berge Run. Confirm each entry and parking location separately.
- A rule boundary proves where rules apply, not where vehicles may park or anglers may cross land.
- Do not use Kettle Creek access information for First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek.
- The state-park fishing page describes separate downstream water and should not be used as Wharton access evidence.
Sources and report details
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
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.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
See all 7 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.
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.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This restored report is maintained from official flow, regulation, access, weather, and public-land sources. Planning guidance is separated from live observations and legal rules.
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.
Quick questions
What water does this First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek report cover?
The Wharton gauge area and PFBC delayed-harvest section from the Route 872 bridge at Schoolhouse Run toward Berge Run.
What should I check first before fishing First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek?
Check USGS 01543700, the PFBC section record, the current Pennsylvania summary, NWS alerts, and legal parking and bank access.
Is access straightforward on First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek?
Not automatically. The regulated reach is documented, but parking and bank rights must be confirmed at each entry.
Does the fishability score replace local judgment?
No. Use it as a starting decision, then confirm the source timestamp, official rules, alerts, water temperature, visibility, and conditions at the access you actually plan to use.