Traveling Trout Co
Member
If you had to rank the top 10 trout streams in Pennsylvania (without spot burning small streams), what would your list look like? With the most extensive miles of rivers, creeks, and runs in the United States (aside from Alaska), we have many to choose from based on our unique topography of ridge and valley, glaciated plateaus, Poconos mountains, and various meandering hills.
My personal criteria for top trout streams in PA leans heavily toward wild/native trout, expansive public lands (and beautiful scenery) as well as access and quality/quantity of trout. Please allow me the caveat of combining a few streams and major stems/tributaries together in lieu of individual streams for some entries on this list.
Please know that I appreciate that there are dozens (if not hundreds) of wild/native trout streams in PA that regularly fish better than those well-known streams listed below. The small to medium sized streams which we hopefully will not mention in this thread may be better on a year to year basis than the heavy weights. With that said, the list below consists of the best known (albeit imperfect) list of best streams in PA, let's keep it classy.
#1 - Penns Creek
* Commentary: Just the best. Big Wild Browns. Lots of public access. Crowds at times, yes. However, with limestone influence and great scenery = #1.
#2 - Little Juniata
* Commentary: Similar to Penns. Big Wild Browns. Good public access. Crowds at times. Still, limestone influence, large sized stream (for PA) and killer trou'.
#3 - West Branch Delaware
* Probably the best pound for pound trout stream in PA, but loses points for being connected to NY. Lot's of drift boats daily also. With that said, best chance in PA for tailwater sized jumbo browns/rainbows and best big trou' wild trou' fishery in PA bar none.
#4 - Big Fishing Creek
* Maybe my favorite limestone influenced stream. Relatively lightly fished, impressive natural reproduction and sizes, as well as public access.
#5 - Spring Creek
* Although one of the best and most well renowned - heavily fished consistently and too popular (still an incredible fishery).
#6 - Pine Creek & Slate/Cedar Runs
* My personal favorite area. NC PA is surrounded by 100's of thousands of acres of state forest. Between stocked big streams like Pine and the wild/native Tribs., its the peak of trout fishing in my opinion (minus winter).
#7 - Elk/20mi. Creeks
* The steelhead runs are the most impressive and captivating trout fishing in PA each year (genuinely). With that said, it only last a few months. Love Erie Tribs. when they run, but nothing going on when they don't.
#8 - Lehigh River (and Tribs in Lehigh Gorge)
* Although people tell me the Lehigh has wild browns, I've only seen them a few times. With that said, the Lehigh in and around the Lehigh Gorge area has incredible (mostly) stocked trout fishing in the main stem with killer wild/native trout fishing in the Tribs. while being surrounded by the best scenery the Poconos have to offer.
#9 - Kettle Creek & Tribs.
* Aside from Pine Creek and Tribs., my favorite. So many Brookies. So much public land. The best space for brookies to thrive and survive in PA. Love it.
#10 - Yellow Breeches
* As a SC PA resident, YB has my heart. Yes, its a small stream. Yes, it has extensive stocking. Yes, it has interspersed private and public access. With all that said, it still has wild browns, tons of public access, and limestone influence.
Honorable Mention: Alleghany River, Brodhead Creek, Clarion River + E/W Branches, Youghiogheny River, etc.
My personal criteria for top trout streams in PA leans heavily toward wild/native trout, expansive public lands (and beautiful scenery) as well as access and quality/quantity of trout. Please allow me the caveat of combining a few streams and major stems/tributaries together in lieu of individual streams for some entries on this list.
Please know that I appreciate that there are dozens (if not hundreds) of wild/native trout streams in PA that regularly fish better than those well-known streams listed below. The small to medium sized streams which we hopefully will not mention in this thread may be better on a year to year basis than the heavy weights. With that said, the list below consists of the best known (albeit imperfect) list of best streams in PA, let's keep it classy.
#1 - Penns Creek
* Commentary: Just the best. Big Wild Browns. Lots of public access. Crowds at times, yes. However, with limestone influence and great scenery = #1.
#2 - Little Juniata
* Commentary: Similar to Penns. Big Wild Browns. Good public access. Crowds at times. Still, limestone influence, large sized stream (for PA) and killer trou'.
#3 - West Branch Delaware
* Probably the best pound for pound trout stream in PA, but loses points for being connected to NY. Lot's of drift boats daily also. With that said, best chance in PA for tailwater sized jumbo browns/rainbows and best big trou' wild trou' fishery in PA bar none.
#4 - Big Fishing Creek
* Maybe my favorite limestone influenced stream. Relatively lightly fished, impressive natural reproduction and sizes, as well as public access.
#5 - Spring Creek
* Although one of the best and most well renowned - heavily fished consistently and too popular (still an incredible fishery).
#6 - Pine Creek & Slate/Cedar Runs
* My personal favorite area. NC PA is surrounded by 100's of thousands of acres of state forest. Between stocked big streams like Pine and the wild/native Tribs., its the peak of trout fishing in my opinion (minus winter).
#7 - Elk/20mi. Creeks
* The steelhead runs are the most impressive and captivating trout fishing in PA each year (genuinely). With that said, it only last a few months. Love Erie Tribs. when they run, but nothing going on when they don't.
#8 - Lehigh River (and Tribs in Lehigh Gorge)
* Although people tell me the Lehigh has wild browns, I've only seen them a few times. With that said, the Lehigh in and around the Lehigh Gorge area has incredible (mostly) stocked trout fishing in the main stem with killer wild/native trout fishing in the Tribs. while being surrounded by the best scenery the Poconos have to offer.
#9 - Kettle Creek & Tribs.
* Aside from Pine Creek and Tribs., my favorite. So many Brookies. So much public land. The best space for brookies to thrive and survive in PA. Love it.
#10 - Yellow Breeches
* As a SC PA resident, YB has my heart. Yes, its a small stream. Yes, it has extensive stocking. Yes, it has interspersed private and public access. With all that said, it still has wild browns, tons of public access, and limestone influence.
Honorable Mention: Alleghany River, Brodhead Creek, Clarion River + E/W Branches, Youghiogheny River, etc.
