Winter Steelhead in Pennsylvania: River Run Timing and Flows

Q: When do steelhead run in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission describes fall run from Sep 1 to Nov 10; winter from Nov 15 to Mar 5; spring run from Mar 1 to May 15. The Commission's reference guide opens the steelhead year in early September and treats early September to early November as its first period, with runs coming on rain.

Q: Which Pennsylvania rivers have winter steelhead?

The rivers the Fish and Boat Commission names with steelhead in the river between December and April include the Elk Creek, Walnut Creek, Conneaut Creek, Twentymile Creek, Crooked Creek, Sixteen Mile Creek, Twelve Mile Creek, Seven Mile and Eight Mile creeks and 3 more. Each one is listed below with its agency timing and the source sentence.

Q: Where is the Pennsylvania steelhead fishing report?

the Fish and Boat Commission publishes the Biologist Reports (Area 9, Lake Erie and tributaries) (annual). All are linked below.

Q: Which Pennsylvania steelhead rivers get hatchery fish?

the Fish and Boat Commission records hatchery releases or returns on the Twentymile Creek.

Q: How high is the Walnut Creek running today?

The rivers table reads the latest discharge and water temperature straight from USGS for 2 Pennsylvania steelhead rivers with a USGS discharge gauge, the Walnut Creek among them, and sets each flow beside the gauge's median for today's date from its full record.

Q: Is the steelhead run the same as the fishing season in Pennsylvania?

No. A run window is when the fish move, and it is biology. Seasons, licences and river closures are set by Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and change inside a year; its current regulations are linked beside the rivers table.

Q: Are Pennsylvania steelhead native?

Great Lakes steelhead are a stocked and naturalized fish. New York DEC writes that steelhead have been stocked in Lake Erie since the late 1800s and, though not native to the system, are now a naturalized part of its fish community. In Pennsylvania, the Fish and Boat Commission describes fall run Sep 1 to Nov 10, winter Nov 15 to Mar 5 and spring run Mar 1 to May 15.

Rivers and flows

Pennsylvania steelhead rivers, run timing and flow today

Each river below is one Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission names for steelhead, with the timing it gives and the sentence it came from. Beside it, the latest discharge from the river’s USGS gauge and the median discharge for today’s date across that gauge’s years of record, so a reading of 150% means the river is carrying half again its usual flow for the day. 2 of the gauges also report water temperature.

Pennsylvania steelhead rivers named by Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, with the latest USGS discharge and water temperature and the median discharge for today’s date over each gauge’s record.
River	Run timing	Hatchery	Flow now	Median for today	Water temp
Elk CreekLake Erie One of the two most popular steelhead creeks in the state, stocked by the Commission. the Fish and Boat Commission source	Oct to Apr	See the note	Run timing from the Fish and Boat Commission, with the note and source beside it.
Walnut CreekLake Erie The other of the Commission's two flagship creeks, with its Walnut Creek Access at the mouth. The agency's reference guide rates it a medium creek for how fast it clears after rain. the Fish and Boat Commission source USGS gauge 04213152	Oct to Apr	See the note	Loading	Loading	Loading
Conneaut CreekLake Erie The large western creek shared with Ohio, the slowest of the Pennsylvania creeks to drop back after rain. The agency's reference guide rates it a large creek for how fast it clears after rain. the Fish and Boat Commission source USGS gauge 04212895	Oct to Apr	See the note	Loading	Loading	Loading
Twentymile CreekLake Erie The Commission calls it a renowned steelhead fishery and stocks it with juvenile steelhead every year. The agency's reference guide rates it a medium creek for how fast it clears after rain. the Fish and Boat Commission source	Oct to Apr	Hatchery fish	Run timing from the Fish and Boat Commission, with the note and source beside it.
Crooked CreekLake Erie An east side tributary on the Commission's Lake Erie list. The agency's reference guide rates it a medium creek for how fast it clears after rain. the Fish and Boat Commission source	Oct to Apr	See the note	Run timing from the Fish and Boat Commission, with the note and source beside it.
Sixteen Mile CreekLake Erie On the Commission's Lake Erie tributary list. The agency's reference guide rates it a small creek for how fast it clears after rain. the Fish and Boat Commission source	Oct to Apr	See the note	Run timing from the Fish and Boat Commission, with the note and source beside it.
Twelve Mile CreekLake Erie On the Commission's Lake Erie tributary list. The agency's reference guide rates it a small creek for how fast it clears after rain. the Fish and Boat Commission source	Oct to Apr	See the note	Run timing from the Fish and Boat Commission, with the note and source beside it.
Seven Mile and Eight Mile creeksLake Erie Paired east side creeks on the Commission's list. The agency's reference guide rates it a small creek for how fast it clears after rain. the Fish and Boat Commission source	Oct to Apr	See the note	Run timing from the Fish and Boat Commission, with the note and source beside it.
Four Mile and Six Mile creeksLake Erie Short creeks just east of Erie on the Commission's list. The agency's reference guide rates it a small creek for how fast it clears after rain. the Fish and Boat Commission source	Oct to Apr	See the note	Run timing from the Fish and Boat Commission, with the note and source beside it.
Cascade CreekLake Erie The creek inside the city of Erie on the Commission's list. The agency's reference guide rates it a small creek for how fast it clears after rain. the Fish and Boat Commission source	Oct to Apr	See the note	Run timing from the Fish and Boat Commission, with the note and source beside it.
Raccoon CreekLake Erie A small west end creek on the Commission's list. The agency's reference guide rates it a small creek for how fast it clears after rain. the Fish and Boat Commission source	Oct to Apr	See the note	Run timing from the Fish and Boat Commission, with the note and source beside it.

Run calendar

When steelhead are in Pennsylvania rivers

The months the Fish and Boat Commission gives for each river, laid on a July to June year so a winter run reads as one bar. The statewide winter run is Nov 15 to Mar 5. Rain and water temperature move the weeks inside those months from one year to the next.

Elk CreekLake ErieOct to Apr
Walnut CreekLake ErieOct to Apr
Conneaut CreekLake ErieOct to Apr
Twentymile CreekLake ErieOct to Apr
Crooked CreekLake ErieOct to Apr
Sixteen Mile CreekLake ErieOct to Apr
Twelve Mile CreekLake ErieOct to Apr
Seven Mile and Eight Mile creeksLake ErieOct to Apr
Four Mile and Six Mile creeksLake ErieOct to Apr
Cascade CreekLake ErieOct to Apr
Raccoon CreekLake ErieOct to Apr

Fall run
Winter
Spring run
Nov, the current month

Pennsylvania steelhead months by river, from Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Fish in the river across Oct to Apr.

The runs, in the Fish and Boat Commission’s words

Fall run, Sep 1 to Nov 10. The Commission's reference guide opens the steelhead year in early September and treats early September to early November as its first period, with runs coming on rain. Early September to Early November Source
Winter, Nov 15 to Mar 5. The guide's second period runs from mid November to early March. Mid- November to Early March Source
Spring run, Mar 1 to May 15. The third period runs from early March to mid May, the end of the spawning run. Early March to Mid-May Source

Water temperature and the run

By mid-October the run has intensified as the water temperatures of the streams drop to the optimum range of 45-58 degrees F for migration.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

A person in waders and a knit cap crouching in brown river water, holding a bright silver steelhead with a pink cheek low at the surface — A steelhead from a Lake Erie tributary in late November, kept low in the water. Steelhead are not native to the Great Lakes; New York has stocked them in Lake Erie since the late 1800s, and they run up tributaries from the lakes in fall, winter and spring. “Great Lakes Steelhead” by ColtonOrbaker, CC BY-SA 3.0

Reports

Pennsylvania steelhead reports and counts

Where the Fish and Boat Commission publishes the current picture: fishing reports, weir and hatchery counts, and creel surveys, each with how often it is updated.

Biologist Reports (Area 9, Lake Erie and tributaries)the Fish and Boat Commission, creel, annual

Mist lifting off a wide river on a cold grey morning, bare and yellowing trees on both banks and a bridge faint in the distance — Mist on the Salmon River in New York on an October morning. The Lake Ontario tributaries take their first steelhead in fall, and fish keep entering through the winter into spring. “Can you tell how cold it must be on the salmon river - panoramio” by Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0

Elsewhere

Steelhead run timing in other states

Questions about Pennsylvania steelhead

When do steelhead run in Pennsylvania?

Which Pennsylvania rivers have winter steelhead?

Where is the Pennsylvania steelhead fishing report?

Which Pennsylvania steelhead rivers get hatchery fish?

How high is the Walnut Creek running today?

Is the steelhead run the same as the fishing season in Pennsylvania?

Are Pennsylvania steelhead native?

River timing from Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission pages, each linked beside its river. Flow, water temperature and the daily median from the USGS Water Services. Compiled September 21, 2026.

Pennsylvania salmon run timingThe chinook and coho runs on the same rivers, in the months before the steelhead.Pennsylvania trout stockingThe same species as a freshwater fish, stocked on a schedule.Pennsylvania river levelsEvery USGS gauge in the state against its own record for the date.