West Branch Lackawaxen River
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Brown trout, golden rainbow trout, and rainbow trout water, stocked 6 times in 2026, all in March. One of 14 stocked waters on the Wayne County record. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live, water temperature included.
Wayne 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 5 | Brown trout x 2 sections | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 5 | Rainbow trout x 2 sections | adult | stocked | |
| Mar 5 | Golden rainbow trout x 2 sections | adult | stocked |
When to fish West Branch Lackawaxen River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:38-11:38 am and 10:00 pm-12:00 am | 3:54-4:54 am and 4:10-5:10 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:24 am-12:24 pm and 10:48 pm-12:48 am | 5:03-6:03 am and 4:33-5:33 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 Mar 5
- Water 56 °F, prime coldwater range
- Flow 139% of the seasonal median
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. The gauge reads 56 degrees, prime coldwater temperature; fish confidently through the day.
For the trout (brown trout stocked 2 times here in 2026, moving water)
| 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 |
| Light spinning rod | 5 to 6.5 ft light or ultralight; short rods cast under branches |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Van Auken Creek | 3.7 mi | Apr 23 |
| East Branch Dyberry Creek | 6.0 mi | May 6 |
| West Branch Dyberry Creek | 6.0 mi | May 6 |
| Rose Pond Branch | 10 mi | Mar 14 |
| Lake Wallenpaupack | 11 mi | Jun 1 |
Follow Wayne County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule