Wade26/100
Wading is the most sensitive plan today. Use protected edges only, avoid crossings, and downgrade quickly if clarity or current feels wrong.
All Pennsylvania reports
Fly fishing report · Northeast
Laurel Hill Creek
Is Laurel Hill Creek worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Pennsylvania before you go.
See the flow chart ↓Photo: Historic American Engineering Record Opens in a new tab. · Public domain
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Caution
Maybe. Read the cautions first.
46
Best option: Bank / edge. Bank and edge fishing is the safer default when water is high, pushy, or not fully verified.
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
Best access methodBank / edge
These scores compare the risks of wading, bank fishing, and floating.
Bank / edge · Best fit38/100
Bank and edge fishing is the safer default when water is high, pushy, or not fully verified.
FloatNot recommended
This report does not recommend floating this reach.
Your plan
Today's Laurel Hill Creek plan.
Laurel Hill Creek is a Laurel Highlands trout stream with several section types. RiverReports and USGS 03080000 help with the flow picture near Ursina, but the rule and access plan depends on the exact reach.
- Check first
- RiverReports coverage is verified and USGS 03080000 is the official source.
- Try
- Pick the section first so the rule and fly choice match the water.
- Leave when
- Skip or pivot when Laurel Hill Creek is rising fast, warm for trout handling, stained after storms, crowded near obvious access, or when the intended bank or reach has not been confirmed as legal to fish.
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
- 227 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
- Air now
- 65°F
Current NWS forecast period
- Next 24h high
- 71.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 76%
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
Showers And Thunderstorms
Showers And Thunderstorms
- Wind
- 2 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
Ursina, Pennsylvania
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: Laurel Hill Creek at Ursina
How to fish it
How to fish Laurel Hill Creek today.
The safest helpful plan is to fish cool, stable water and confirm the exact PFBC section. High water, warm afternoons, or uncertain reach rules should push you to a different plan.
Stable spring flow
Fish pocket water and riffle seams with nymphs, caddis, and mayfly emergers.
High stained water
Use streamers and heavier nymphs from safe edges. Avoid risky crossings.
Low summer water
Fish early, use terrestrials, and stop if water is warm.
Cold water
Slow down with midges, small stones, and soft hackles in deeper buckets.
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
Best mode nowHurts
Bank / edge: Bank and edge fishing is the safer default when water is high, pushy, or not fully verified.
FlowUse caution
USGS shows 227 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1919-2025, 107 readings) show a median near 38 cfs and the upper quartile near 77 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.
SeasonUse caution
This month is not listed as a top seasonal window in this page's reviewed season notes. Use current regulations, flow, temperature, and access checks before treating the score as a slam dunk.
Short-term weatherUse caution
The forecast has storm or heavy-precipitation risk, so timing and access matter more than the score alone.
WeatherHelps
The current NWS air forecast is about 65F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 71F. Showers And Thunderstorms.
Trip notes
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Use RiverReports and USGS 03080000 at Ursina as the primary flow checks. Stable, cool, readable water is best. Sharp rises, stain, pushy pockets, or warm afternoons should narrow or cancel the trout plan.
Skip or pivot when Laurel Hill Creek is rising fast, warm for trout handling, stained after storms, crowded near obvious access, or when the intended bank or reach has not been confirmed as legal to fish.
Start with the Ursina gauge, PFBC rules, DCNR state-park fishing guidance, weather, and one legal access choice. Fish shaded riffles, pocket edges, and pool tails before moving to more exposed water.
If Laurel Hill Creek is high, warm, crowded, or access-limited, compare the Youghiogheny River for a larger system, Slippery Rock Creek for western Pennsylvania freestone water, or Oil Creek for another trout option.
What to try
Laurel Hill Creek 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
Laurel Hill Creek access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter. Check PFBC stocked trout, DHALO, and statewide trout rules for the exact Laurel Hill Creek section before fishing.
Laurel Hill State Park
Useful access and logistics context. Verify current park and fishing rules.
DHALO and stocked sections
Check exact PFBC section boundaries before fishing or keeping trout.
Ursina gauge area
Primary flow reference for lower creek planning.
Do not apply DHALO rules to the whole creek.
Public park and game-land context helps, but posted property and section boundaries still matter.
Spring weekends can be busy around obvious access.
River sources
Official Laurel Hill Creek 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 Laurel Hill Creek report is maintained from RiverReports and USGS Ursina flow data, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulations and stocking sources, DCNR Laurel Hill State Park fishing access guidance, weather, media-credit, and Laurel Highlands trout 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 Laurel Hill Creek answers.
What should I check first before fishing Laurel Hill Creek?
Check PFBC section rules, RiverReports, USGS 03080000, and water temperature before fishing.
Where should a first-time visitor start on Laurel Hill Creek?
Start with Laurel Hill State Park or verified public sections, then match the exact reach to the rule.
Can I wade Laurel Hill Creek?
Yes at normal flows, but freestone footing and high water call for careful wading.
What flies should I bring for Laurel Hill Creek?
Bring the seasonal fly box, a few confidence nymphs or streamers, and enough tippet to change when flow, clarity, temperature, or pressure changes.