Kinzua Creek
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Rainbow trout, brown trout, and golden rainbow trout water, stocked 26 times in 2026, spread March to October, heaviest in March. The most-stocked water on the McKean County record for 2026. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.
McKean County · Pennsylvania · see it on the national map
Water temp 62 °F at Allegheny River below Kinzua Dam at Big Bend, PA, 4 km away USGS site 03012545 · read 8:45 pm this evening
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
Golden rainbow trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2 | Brown trout x 3 sections | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 2 | Rainbow trout x 3 sections | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 2 | Golden rainbow trout x 3 sections | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 9 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 9 | Golden rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 7 | Brown trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 7 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 13 | Brown trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 13 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 13 | Golden rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| May 12 | Brown trout x 2 sections | adult | stocked | |
| May 12 | Rainbow trout x 2 sections | adult | stocked | |
| May 12 | Golden rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| May 14 | Brown trout | adult | stocked | |
| May 14 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| May 15 | Brown trout | adult | stocked | |
| May 15 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Oct 8 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked |
When to fish Kinzua Creek
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:53-11:53 am and 10:16 pm-12:16 am | 4:09-5:09 am and 4:25-5:25 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:39 am-12:39 pm | 5:19-6:19 am and 4:48-5:48 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
- Stocked 15 days ago (Oct 8)
- Water 62 °F at a gauge 4 km away, prime coldwater range
- Flow 44% of the seasonal median
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Pennsylvania fishing forecast
Gear for this water
Stocked within the last three weeks: fish are still bunched near the release points and keyed on familiar smells.
For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 11 times here in 2026, moving water)
| 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 |
| Small jerkbaits | floating minnows in the 2 to 3 inch class for the deeper bends |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar Run | 2.7 mi | 2026 season |
| North Branch Sugar Run | 4.3 mi | May 11 |
| Chappel Fork | 4.8 mi | May 12 |
| Hemlock Run | 5.1 mi | Mar 27 |
| Allegheny Reservoir | 6.7 mi | 2026 season |
Follow McKean County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule