Cranberry River
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Trout water, stocked 18 times in 2026, spread January to October, heaviest in April. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live, water temperature included.
West Virginia · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 13 | Trout | completed | ||
| Feb 27 | Trout | completed | ||
| Mar 6 | Trout | completed | ||
| Mar 12 | Trout | completed | ||
| Mar 18 | Trout | completed | ||
| Mar 26 | Trout x 2 sections | completed | ||
| Apr 3 | Trout Gold Rush | completed | ||
| Apr 9 | Trout | completed | ||
| Apr 15 | Trout x 2 sections | completed | ||
| Apr 24 | Trout | completed | ||
| Apr 29 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 8 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 15 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 20 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 28 | Trout | completed | ||
| Oct 20 | Trout | completed |
When to fish Cranberry River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:59-11:59 am and 10:22 pm-12:22 am | 4:16-5:16 am and 4:32-5:32 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:45 am-12:45 pm | 5:22-6:22 am and 4:57-5:57 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 3 days ago (Oct 20)
- Water 50 °F, prime coldwater range
- Flow 179% of the seasonal median
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · West Virginia 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. The gauge reads 50 degrees, prime coldwater temperature; fish confidently through the day.
For the trout (trout stocked 18 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.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Summit Lake | 5.1 mi | Oct 20 |
| Williams River | 5.2 mi | Oct 21 |
| North Fork Cherry River | 6.6 mi | May 22 |
| South Fork Cranberry River | 8.9 mi | Apr 18 |
| Big Ditch Lake | 9.0 mi | Jun 23 |
Follow West Virginia stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule