WadeCheck
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
Menu
All West Virginia reports
Fly fishing report · Southeast
Second Creek
A practical report for the Rodgers Mill fly-fishing-only section of Second Creek, with rules, access, hatches, and careful no-gauge condition planning.
Check flow & weatherToday's river scoreMedium source confidence
44
Limited data
Verify conditions before committing.
No live gauge is verified here. Use weather, recent rain, local reports, and conservative judgment before committing.
Updated Jul 13, 11:17 PM UTCLive sources checked regularly
Planning fallbackVerify locally
Mode guidance is provisional because current water conditions are not fully verified.
Bank / edgeCheck
Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.
FloatCheck
A float is in play where this report supports boat access and wind, releases, and shuttle logistics are manageable.
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.
Loading current flow and weather.
River strategy
Fish the special-regulation reach, not a broad watershed guess.
Second Creek is most useful as a focused Rodgers Mill trout plan. There is no verified current public live gauge for the reach, so start with WVDNR rules, then judge recent rain, clarity, and summer water temperature before fishing.
- Treat the fly-fishing-only rules as the first planning step.
- Use stocking and trout-map sources for current management context.
- After rain, look for falling, clearing water before making the drive.
- In summer, carry a thermometer and stop trout fishing when water is warm.
Why this score moved
FlowNot verified
No verified live public gauge is attached, so the page cannot make a strong real-time call.
SeasonHelps score
Summer: Early shaded sessions only when water is cool enough.
WeatherHelps score
The NWS forecast is about 75F with Mostly Cloudy.
Public alertsHelps score
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
Fishing usefulnessHelps score
Skip or change the trip when rain has the creek rising or muddy, special-regulation boundaries are unclear, banks or parking are posted, summer water is warm, or the only plan crowds a short pool.
Read the water
What changes the plan.
Best windows are cool spring days, light rain bumps that clear quickly, and shaded fall sessions. Hot afternoons or muddy runoff are better used for scouting access than fishing.
Clear and low
Use long leaders, small dries, and careful approaches from downstream.
Light stain
Nymph seams, plunge pools, and undercut banks before the creek gets too dirty.
Muddy or rising
Skip it; small creeks become unfishable and unsafe quickly.
Warm summer water
Check temperature before handling trout and move to another plan if water is stressful.
Field plan
Fish it with intention.
Best flows
No verified live public gauge is used for the Rodgers Mill reach. Use recent rain, water clarity, the historical USGS station only as background, and an on-site temperature check before fishing.
When to skip
Skip or change the trip when rain has the creek rising or muddy, special-regulation boundaries are unclear, banks or parking are posted, summer water is warm, or the only plan crowds a short pool.
Local plan
Start with WVDNR rules, stocking context, and the trout map, then choose one Rodgers Mill-area plan with a thermometer, low-profile approach, and a larger backup river ready.
Backup water
If Second Creek is muddy, warm, crowded, or access-limited, compare Greenbrier River West Fork, Elk River, or Seneca Creek before forcing the same plan.
Hatches & flies
Bring a flexible box.
TimingWhat to watchUseful flies
March to AprilQuill Gordons, Blue Quills, midges, early caddis, and stocked-trout nymphingQuill Gordon, Blue Quill, zebra midge, caddis pupa, hare's ear
Reviewed family · report says “Quill Gordon”Quill Gordon PatternsQuill Gordon may refer to the eastern Epeorus pleuralis hatch, a stage-specific imitation, or the traditional Gordon dry. The photographed natural aquatic forms have a broad flattened head and body, paired wing pads, plate-like side gills, long legs, a tapered abdomen, and two tails. Those clues do not identify the adult dry, prove a local population, or turn every gray quill-bodied fly into the exact traditional pattern.See family guide ↗
Reviewed family · report says “Blue Quill”Blue Quill PatternsBlue Quill is hatch wording rather than one mandatory recipe. The traditional dry is only one adult imitation; subsurface and spent stages need different profiles.See family guide ↗+ 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box May to JuneMarch Browns, sulphurs, Light Cahills, caddis, and evening spinnersMarch Brown, sulphur emerger, Light Cahill, elk hair caddis, rusty spinner
Reviewed family · report says “March Brown”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 family · report says “sulphur emerger”Sulphur Mayfly PatternsSulphur is hatch wording. Nymphs, emergers, Comparaduns, parachutes, traditional dries, soft hackles, and spinners have different silhouettes and depths.See family guide ↗+ 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box July to SeptemberTerrestrials, ants, beetles, small olives, and shaded attractor waterFoam ant, beetle, small hopper, BWO emerger, yellow stimulator
Reviewed family · report says “Foam ant”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 “beetle”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 ↗+ 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box October to FebruaryBWOs, midges, small stones, streamers, and slow winter nymphingBWO emerger, midge pupa, stonefly nymph, olive bugger, soft hackle
Reviewed family · report says “BWO emerger”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 ↗
Reviewed family · report says “midge pupa”Midge Patterns by StageMidge wording can mean a threadlike larva, wing-padded pupa, film emerger, tiny adult, or visible cluster. Those profiles fish at different depths.See family guide ↗+ 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box 01
Fish upstream and keep casts short so you do not line every pool.
02
Use a dry-dropper in broken riffles and a single small nymph in shallow pockets.
03
Let stained water improve before switching to streamers; the creek is too small to force high water.
04
Rest pools after a missed fish instead of immediately changing flies.
05
Keep fish wet and release them quickly, especially during warm weather.
Access & responsibility
Know the entry. Know the exit.
Check current WVDNR fishing regulations for the Second Creek fly-fishing-only area before fishing. The managed reach, methods, harvest rules, and possession rules are legal details, not suggestions.
Rodgers Mill special-regulation reach
Core fly-fishing-only planning area; verify current boundaries in WVDNR rules.
US 219 south of Ronceverte context
Use local roads and posted access carefully; do not assume open banks.
WVDNR trout map orientation
Use the official map for stocking and managed-water context before driving.
Transparent sources
Check the facts behind the plan.
Last material review: 2026-07-06
Common questions
Before you leave.
What should I check before fishing Second Creek?+
WVDNR regulations, stocking updates, special-regulation boundaries, recent rain, and water temperature
Which flow should I use for Second Creek?+
Use no live flow widget for this page. Check recent rain, clarity, and water temperature because the old Second Creek station is not a current public fishing gauge.
Where should I start on Second Creek?+
Start with the Rodgers Mill special-regulation reach and confirm parking, posted land, and the exact managed-water boundary.
Can I wade Second Creek?+
Usually yes in normal flows, but stay out during muddy rises and avoid stepping through the best holding water.