Fly fishing report · Northeast

Pine Creek

A practical Pine Creek report for flows, hatches, flies, access, and trip planning through the north-central Pennsylvania gorge corridor.

Check flow & weather

Today's river scoreHigh source confidence

Caution

Best option: Bank / edge.

Bank and edge fishing is the safer default when water is high, pushy, or not fully verified.

Updated Jul 13, 11:17 PM UTCUsually refreshes about every 15 minutes

Recommended approachBank / edge

Mode scores adjust the river-wide score for the risks of wading, bank fishing, or floating.

Wade29/100

Wading is the most sensitive plan today. Use protected edges only, avoid crossings, and downgrade quickly if clarity or current feels wrong.

Bank / edge · Best fit41/100

Bank and edge fishing is the safer default when water is high, pushy, or not fully verified.

FloatCheck

This report does not describe this as a primary mode. Verify legal access, depth, launches, and retreat options before planning around it.

Confirm before you leave

Flow and weather right now.

Use the flow trend to confirm the score before you leave. Weather can change the safest and most productive fishing window.

River strategy

Start with flow, temperature, and clarity.

Pine Creek can be excellent when flows are stable and water temperatures are trout-safe. Because the creek is large, conditions can change quickly after rain, snowmelt, or hot weather.

Use the Cedar Run gauge before choosing a reach or wading plan.
Carry a thermometer in late spring and summer; warm water should change the plan.
Expect spring hatches to drive the most classic dry-fly windows.
If the creek is high or stained, fish edges, softer inside seams, and streamer water instead of heavy mid-channel current.

Why this score moved

Best mode nowLowers score

Bank / edge: Bank and edge fishing is the safer default when water is high, pushy, or not fully verified.

FlowUse caution

USGS shows 391 cfs with a stable over about 6 hours trend. same-date USGS history (1919-2025, 107 readings) puts normal around 164 cfs and the upper quartile near 265 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.

Public alertUse caution

A heat alert is active near this forecast point, so the score is capped until water temperature and fish-handling risk are checked. NWS alert: Heat Advisory issued July 13 at 1:40PM EDT until July 14 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS State College PA.

SeasonHelps score

Early summer: Morning and evening windows become more important as water warms.

WeatherHelps score

The NWS forecast is about 83F with Partly Cloudy.

Read the water

What changes the plan.

Pine Creek fishes best when flows are stable enough for safe wading and water temperatures support trout activity. Match tactics to season, clarity, and the insects you actually see on the water.

Low and clear

Lengthen leaders, reduce weight, fish early or late, and avoid unnecessary wading through likely holding water.

Stable medium flow

This is the most flexible window: dry-dropper rigs, nymphs, soft hackles, and hatch-matching dries can all be useful.

Rising or stained

Focus on banks, slow seams, and streamers. Skip unsafe crossings and avoid pushing into fast mid-channel water.

Warm water

Check temperature before fishing for trout. If temperatures are unsafe, switch species, fish colder tributaries where legal, or wait for cooler conditions.

Field plan

Fish it with intention.

Best flows

Use the Cedar Run gauge trend more than a single magic number. Stable or slowly falling water is the most useful fly-fishing window; rising, stained, or pushy water should move you to bank work, streamers, or a safer plan.

When to skip

Skip trout fishing when water temperatures are stressful, crossings are unsafe, thunderstorms or muddy tributaries are affecting the corridor, or current PFBC reach rules do not match your plan.

Local plan

Pick the access style before picking flies: Cedar Run for gauge-area checks, Slate Run for a central gorge base, Blackwell for longer trail-linked exploration, and Big Meadows/Ansonia when you need the upper water-trail access context.

Backup water

If the main stem is too high, warm, or crowded, research Little Pine Creek, Cedar Run, or Slate Run only after checking current rules and access. If temperatures are the issue, switch species, move to colder legal water, or wait for better conditions.

Hatches & flies

Bring a flexible box.

TimingWhat to watchUseful flies

April to MayBlue-winged olives, caddis, early mayfliesBWO dries, soft hackles, caddis pupa, pheasant tails

Reviewed pattern · report says “pheasant tails”Pheasant Tail NymphThe pilot page distinguishes the sparse original idea from the bulkier American form. Both use pheasant-tail fibers and copper wire, but bead heads, peacock-herl thoraxes, legs, flashbacks, jig hooks, and soft-hackle collars are variations that must be labeled.See photos & how to fish it

Reviewed family · report says “BWO dries”Blue-Winged Olive PatternsBWO describes a hatch group, not one fly. Nymph, emerger, dry, cripple, and spinner profiles must stay separate because they occupy different parts of the water column.See family guide + 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

May to JuneMarch browns, sulfurs, caddis, larger mayfliesMarch brown dries, sulfur comparaduns, hare's ears, caddis dries

Reviewed family · report says “March brown dries”March Brown Dry FliesThis family includes traditional hackled, parachute, and Comparadun-style March Brown dries. Each exact construction rides differently and should be named when known.See family guide

Reviewed pattern · report says “sulfur comparaduns”Sulphur ComparadunThe fan-shaped upright deer-hair wing, split tail, low hackleless body, and Sulphur-specific color define this destination. A PMD Comparadun is related but not interchangeable by name.See photos & how to fish it + 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

SummerTerrestrials, ants, beetles, sporadic caddisFoam ants, beetles, small attractors, lightweight nymph rigs

Reviewed family · report says “Foam ants”Ant PatternsAnt patterns can be foam, fur-bodied, winged, or sunken. The narrow waist and paired body lobes matter more than one material recipe.See family guide

Reviewed family · report says “beetles”Beetle PatternsBeetle flies range from simple foam shells to hair-bodied and sunken forms. A rounded back and compact profile distinguish the family from ants and hoppers.See family guide + 1 more reviewed guide in the Fly Box

FallBlue-winged olives and midgesSmall BWO dries, zebra midges, slim nymphs, small streamers

Reviewed pattern · report says “zebra midges”Zebra MidgeLook for a very slim tapered thread body, evenly spaced contrasting wire rib, a small bead, and no tail or wing. The reviewed classic is black with silver wire and a silver bead. Red, olive, brown, glass-bead, jig-hook, resin-coated, or tailed forms must remain labeled variations rather than replacing the classic identity.See photos & how to fish it

Reviewed family · report says “Small BWO dries”Blue-Winged Olive PatternsBWO describes a hatch group, not one fly. Nymph, emerger, dry, cripple, and spinner profiles must stay separate because they occupy different parts of the water column.See family guide + 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

WinterMidges and occasional tiny olivesZebra midges, small pheasant tails, RS2-style emergers

Reviewed pattern · report says “small pheasant tails”Pheasant Tail NymphThe pilot page distinguishes the sparse original idea from the bulkier American form. Both use pheasant-tail fibers and copper wire, but bead heads, peacock-herl thoraxes, legs, flashbacks, jig hooks, and soft-hackle collars are variations that must be labeled.See photos & how to fish it + 1 more reviewed guide in the Fly Box

Start with the gauge. Rising or stained water favors streamers and larger nymphs; falling, clearer water favors dry-dropper rigs and lighter presentations.

Fish edges, softer seams, and broken pocket water before stepping into the main current.

Carry a thermometer during warm periods and stop trout fishing when temperatures are unsafe.

Use the hatch chart as planning guidance, then let current insects on the water decide the exact fly.

On bright, low water days, cover water quietly and prioritize shade, depth changes, and broken surface texture.

Access & responsibility

Know the entry. Know the exit.

Regulations can vary by reach and season. Confirm the current Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission rules before fishing, especially around stocked trout waters, special regulation sections, seasons, creel limits, and temperature-sensitive trout decisions.

Cedar Run corridor

Useful for checking the gauge area and planning access around the central Pine Creek corridor.

Slate Run area

A common planning base in the gorge corridor with nearby trail and creek access options.

Blackwell and rail-trail corridor

A practical area for combining walking or biking with longer exploratory fishing days.

Big Meadows / Ansonia area

DCNR identifies Big Meadows near Ansonia as a water-trail access point for Pine Creek planning.

Transparent sources

Check the facts behind the plan.

Last material review: 2026-07-06

flowUSGS gauge: Pine Creek at Cedar Run, PA regulationPennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission fishing regulations safetyNational Weather Service forecast point near Cedar Run regulationPennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission backgroundPFBC Pine Creek fisheries management plan accessPA DCNR Pine Creek Trail accessPA DCNR Pine Creek Water Trail

Common questions

Before you leave.

Is Pine Creek good for fly fishing?+

Yes, Pine Creek can be very useful for fly anglers, especially when flows and temperatures are right. The key is choosing the right reach, checking current regulations, and matching tactics to water conditions.

What gauge should I check?+

Use USGS 01548500, Pine Creek at Cedar Run, as the primary flow reference for this report.

What flies should I bring?+

Carry BWO and caddis patterns, sulfur and March brown options in spring, terrestrials for summer, small nymphs, soft hackles, and a few small streamers.

Can I fish from the Pine Creek Rail Trail?+

The rail-trail corridor is one of the most practical access tools for planning, but anglers still need to use legal public access, respect private property, and confirm any local restrictions.