Walnut Creek
Fishing and stocking
Stocked through the 2026 season program: steelhead and brown trout; 138,608 fish in the published allocation. One of 20 stocked waters on the Erie County record. The Pennsylvania state record steelhead trout, 20 lb. 3 oz., came from this water in 2001.
Erie County · Pennsylvania · see it on the national map
Water temp 50 °F at Walnut Creek Upstream Pool, near Erie, PA, 1 km away USGS site 04213152 · read 8:45 pm this evening
What swims here
Steelhead
Brown trout
State record fish caught here
Certified by Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; weights shown exactly as the agency publishes them. Record book read October 2026.
Season program record
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission publishes this water by season or program window, not by dated schedule, so there are no truck dates to list; the rows below are the published program allocations. The Pennsylvania season shape statewide: mid-february into october.
Agency feed checked today.
| Season | Species | Size | Fish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 season | Steelhead | yearling | 67,333 |
| 2025 season | Brown trout | adult | 275 |
| 2025 season | Steelhead | yearling | 71,000 |
When to fish Walnut Creek
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:58-11:58 am and 10:21 pm-12:21 am | 4:15-5:15 am and 4:30-5:30 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:44 am-12:44 pm | 5:25-6:25 am and 4:52-5:52 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 through the 2026 season program
- Water 50 °F at a gauge 1 km away, prime coldwater range
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Pennsylvania fishing forecast
Getting on the water
| Access point | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch Road Access, Walnut Creek | carry-in launch | 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
For the salmon and steelhead (steelhead on the season program here, moving water)
| Trolling flies and dodgers | for landlocked salmon in the lakes, early and late in the day |
| Medium spinning rod | 8 to 9 ft with 8 to 12 lb line; big water, big runs |
| Spoons and spinners | 1/4 to 1/2 oz metal; cast across and swing through the run |
For the trout (brown trout on the season program here, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Trout Run | 2.4 mi | 2026 season |
| Godfrey Run | 4.4 mi | 2026 season |
| Cascade Creek | 6.2 mi | Apr 7 |
| Presque Isle Bay | 6.9 mi | 2026 season |
| Elk Creek | 7.7 mi | Apr 13 |
Follow Erie County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule