Freestone · Shale · Pennsylvania, US

Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek fishing
Prime · Steelhead
Egg pattern · 12–16
Primelive now
About as good as it gets
River steady at a fishable height. On the feed top to bottom — start on the rises with a dry, drop a nymph if they stay down.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level1.02 mLast reading 2h ago
  • Water temp11.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Egg pattern
Egg pattern12–16
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
1.02 m
Last reading 2h ago
Water temp11.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather7°C
WindN 30 km/h
Pressure1029 hPa
Rain · recent7.7 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

Live readings only. Trends shown where the gauge supports them.

Water temperature for Steelhead
Ideal
11.1°Cideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Steelhead
When
Steelhead Oct–Apr, on the drop
Where
A small, busy Pennsylvania Erie tributary with a manmade harbour mouth that concentrates fall steelhead — short water, easy access, and reliable stocked…
Why this works
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though time of day could be better.
Likely species
Mayflies
Chironomids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 12:00

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 5 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Supporters see what else is on the menu.

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Brown DunHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Quill GordonHatch
2
2
Blue QuillHatch
2
3
2
HendricksonHatch
2
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Fly box · Steelhead
Local fly shops: East End Angler·Elk Creek Sports Shop·Chagrin River Outfitters
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Pennsylvania licence with a Lake Erie permit — verify PFBC rules
  • Introduced, harvestable sport fishery.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Elk Creek
12 km
84
Steelhead
Crooked Creek
17 km
83
Steelhead
Conneaut Creek
35 km
82
Steelhead
Twenty Mile Creek
39 km
84
Steelhead
Ashtabula River
52 km
30
Steelhead
Gallery · 2
  1. Walnut Creek fishing
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Impaired
  • Recreation: Impaired
What this classification means

Recreation: Bacteria/pathogen advisory — mind wading cuts and immersion.

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Walnut Creek-123925698' (PA-SCR-123925698), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Sediment, Habitat Alterations, Hydrologic Alteration, Pathogens. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · PA-SCR-123925698

Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5513% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity7112% weight
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts