Darby Creek
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Brown trout, rainbow trout, and golden rainbow trout water; 16 stockings on the 2026 record, monthly March through May. One of 6 stocked waters on the Delaware County record. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.
Delaware County · Pennsylvania · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Brown trout
Rainbow trout
Golden rainbow trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 18 | Brown trout | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 18 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 18 | Golden rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 24 | Brown trout | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 24 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 24 | Golden rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 17 | Brown trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 17 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 17 | Golden rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 23 | Brown trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 23 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 23 | Golden rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| May 11 | Brown trout x 2 sections | adult | stocked | |
| May 11 | Rainbow trout x 2 sections | adult | stocked |
When to fish Darby Creek
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:38-11:38 am and 10:01 pm-12:01 am | 3:54-4:54 am and 4:11-5:11 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:24 am-12:24 pm and 10:48 pm-12:48 am | 5:02-6:02 am and 4:35-5:35 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).
What the record actually says
- Last stocked May 11
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Pennsylvania fishing forecast
Getting on the water
| Access point | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ridley Township Marina | boat ramp | fee charged |
| John Heinz Wildlife Refuge | fishing pier | no fee |
Access points from PA Fish and Boat Commission access records. Ramps, fees, and hours change; check before towing a boat a long way.
Gear for this water
It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.
For the trout (brown trout stocked 6 times here in 2026, moving water)
| Light spinning rod | 5 to 6.5 ft light or ultralight; short rods cast under branches |
| Inline spinners | 1/16 to 1/8 oz silver or gold; swing them across the current seams |
| Drifted bait | single salmon egg or half a crawler under light split shot, rolled along the bottom |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Named as published by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Each link opens the official text; read the rule there before you fish. We do not restate regulations.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Ridley Creek | 1.8 mi | Oct 2 |
| Chester Creek | 2.7 mi | May 7 |
| Greenwich Lake NJ | 3.8 mi | Oct 21 |
| Schuylkill River | 6.4 mi | Jun 1 |
| West Branch Chester Creek | 7.1 mi | May 7 |
Follow Delaware County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule