Ridley Creek
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Rainbow trout, brown trout, and golden rainbow trout water, stocked 20 times in 2026, spread March to October, heaviest in April. The most-stocked water on the Delaware County record for 2026. 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
Water temp 62 °F at DELAWARE RIVER AT CHESTER PA, 2 km away USGS site 01477050 · read 8:55 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 12 | Brown trout | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 12 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 12 | Golden rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 26 | Brown trout x 2 sections | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 26 | Rainbow trout x 2 sections | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 26 | Golden rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 6 | Brown trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 6 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 6 | Golden rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 7 | Brown trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 7 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 7 | Golden rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 25 | Brown trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 25 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 29 | Brown trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 29 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Oct 2 | Rainbow trout x 2 sections | adult | stocked |
When to fish Ridley 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
- Stocked 21 days ago (Oct 2)
- Water 62 °F at a gauge 2 km away, prime coldwater range
- Flow 79% 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 9 times here in 2026, moving water)
| 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 |
| Waders or wet-wading boots | stocked stream fish stack in the obvious pools; getting to the next one is the edge |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
- Catch-and-Release Fly-Fishing Only
- Delaware River, Delaware Estuary, and Delaware Estuary tidal Tributary Regulations
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Chester Creek | 0.9 mi | May 7 |
| Darby Creek | 1.8 mi | May 11 |
| Greenwich Lake NJ | 4.1 mi | Oct 21 |
| West Branch Chester Creek | 6.0 mi | May 7 |
| Swedesboro Lake NJ | 7.7 mi | Oct 21 |
Follow Delaware County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule