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River guide · Pennsylvania

Fly Fishing the Penns Creek

Penns Creek springs directly from a limestone cavern at Penns Cave and hosts one of the greatest Green Drake hatches in the eastern United States, drawing pilgrims every late May to watch huge Ephemera guttulata duns blanket the water at dusk.

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When to fish

April–October

Best months: April–October

  • Best
  • Off-peak

Hendrickson: mid-April. Grannom Caddis: late April.

Today's conditions

Where to fish

Along the Penns Creek

The upper section from Spring Mills downstream 6 miles to Coburn has road access; the remote Coburn-to-Weikert canyon corridor is reached via Poe Paddy State Park from the south or an old railroad tunnel from the north. Cherry Run Road parallels water downstream toward Weikert.

The water

Spring creek

Key hatches

  • Grannom
  • Eastern Green Drake
  • Gray Fox
  • White Fly
Hatch calendar

Conditions

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6-day forecast

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Forecast from the National Weather Service ↗

Hatch calendar

Months each hatch is active on the Penns Creek, with hook sizes and local timing notes.
Hatch · hookJFMAMJJASOND
Grannom(caddis)hook #12late AprilAprilMay
Eastern Green Drake(mayflies)hook #10MayJune
Gray Fox(mayflies)hook #12MayJune
White Fly(mayflies)hook #14–16AugustSeptember
  • Mayflies
  • Caddis
  • This month
Also on this water
  • Hendricksonmid-April
  • Green Drake / Shad Flylate May–early June
  • Sulphur & Light Cahilllate May–June
  • Blue-winged Olivelate June; also fall
  • Slate DrakeSeptember

Timing from Big Y Fly Co's Penns Creek hatch chart ↗. Notes are local timing; dates shift a couple of weeks with weather and water.

Fly shops near the Penns Creek

Shops and guides that fish the Penns Creek. See all 39 Pennsylvania shops →

8 fly shops shownPenns Creek at Penn Township

Species on this water

TroutBassBonefishCarpMuskyPanfishPikeSalmonSaltwaterSteelhead

Nearby towns

Penn TownshipHartley TownshipBellefonte

Rivers nearby

Delaware RiverWillowemoc CreekSalmon RiverFarmington River
From The Fly Bench

Tie the flies that work on the Penns Creek

Step-by-step tying recipes & videos for these patterns.

Browse patterns at The Fly Bench
Gear up

Gear up on the Penns Creek

Everything you need before the next trip — rods, lines, leaders, and fly-tying materials.

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The flies that work on the Penns Creek

Find the most effective patterns for where you're fishing — and learn to tie them yourself, step by step.

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