West Branch Hicks Run
Fishing and stocking
Stocked monthly March through May in 2026: rainbow trout and golden rainbow trout, 5 plants in all. One of 19 stocked waters on the Elk County record.
Elk 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
Rainbow trout
Golden rainbow trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 31 | Golden rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 21 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| Apr 21 | Golden rainbow trout | adult | stocked | |
| May 4 | Rainbow trout | adult | stocked |
When to fish West Branch Hicks Run
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:50-11:50 am and 10:13 pm-12:13 am | 4:07-5:07 am and 4:22-5:22 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:36 am-12:36 pm | 5:16-6:16 am and 4:46-5:46 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 4
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Pennsylvania fishing forecast
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 (rainbow trout stocked 3 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.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Dents Run | 1.8 mi | May 15 |
| Hicks Run | 1.9 mi | May 4 |
| Mix Run | 5.1 mi | May 2 |
| Driftwood Branch Sinnemahoning Creek | 8.1 mi | Apr 28 |
| Bennett Branch Sinnemahoning Creek | 8.1 mi | May 1 |
Follow Elk County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule