Kettle Creek Fly Fishing Report: 04/16/24 The stream is flowing just a little above a normal level and mostly clear. There are good hatches taking place. Light Green and Red, or Blood Midges, are hatching. Blue-winged olives, Blue Quills, Quill Gordons, Green Sedge caddis, Hendricksons/Red Quills, Little Black Caddis and Little Brown stoneflies are hatching. Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone
Species
Brown Trout (Wild and stocked)
Brook (Native and stocked)
Rainbow (Stocked)
Size
Large
Location
North Central Pennsylvania
Nearest Towns
Crossfork
Season
Year Round
Special Regulations: Delayed Harvest Section:
Access:
Good
Non-Resident License
State of Pennsylvania
Weather
National Weather Service Link
USGS Real Time Stream
Flow Data:
At Cross Fork
Seasons:
Trout can be caught year-round.
Spring:
Springtime is the best time to fish the creek.
Summer:
Some sections of the stream can get too warm during the hottest part of the summer.
Fly Fishing Gear, Tackle and Trout Flies for Kettle Creek,
Pennsylvania
Kettle Creek is one of the few freestone streams in Pennsylvania. It is quite different from the typical small spring creeks that are so plentiful in the state.
Fly Line:
You can use fly lines ranging from a 4 weight floating line to a 6 weight floating line depending on the flies you want to use. We recommend a 4 or 5 weight, floating fly line for dry flies and lighter nymphs and a 6 weight fly floating fly line for heavier nymphs and streamers. You could easily get by with one 5 weight floating fly line.
Leaders:
Leaders should range in sizes from a 0X for streamers up to a 6X for midges and small dry flies. Lengths ranging from seven and one-half feet, up to 12 feet in length are suggested.
Tippets:
Extra tippet material ranging from 0X to 6X should be available for the leaders we list above.
Fly Rods:
We recommend a fast action fly rod, nine feet in length for all three weights of fly lines.
Fly Reels:
The fly reels you use for the 4, 5 or 6 weight lines, if you choose to use them all, should be light and have good drags. You are subject to hook a large trout in Kettle Creek and you don’t want to loose it because of a lousy drag.
Waders:
We recommend waders. There are few places you could fish without them. We prefer the breathable type but you could use neoprene waders during the winter if you preferred.
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Wading Boots:
We recommend felt soles for your wading boots. You may want to consider the new rubber sole boots that help prevent the spread of Didymo but we have not tested them on this stream.
Flies:
We recommend our “Perfect Fly” Trout Flies. They are the most realistic imitations that are commercially available. We have specific imitations of all the major insects that hatch in Kettle
Creek. Many of our regular Pennsylvania customers use Perfect flies for this stream and we hope you give them a chance to perform for you.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing Kettle Creek, Pennsylvania. Kettle Creek is one of the better trout streams in Northern Pennsylvania. It starts out as a small freestone stream and ends as a rather large stream. From its Billings Branch tributary downstream to the 433 Bridge, the stream has plenty of wild brown and brook trout. The lower section of the creek has some wild trout but according to the state of Pennsylvania, needs additional fish and has supplement stocked trout. There are about twenty miles of stocked water. Altogether there are sixty-seven miles of class A trout water. Several small tributary streams help keep the water cool. Billings Branch, Sliders Branch, Germania Branch, Cross Fork Creek, Hamersley Fork and Little Kettle Creek are the major ones. Kettle Creek has a delayed harvest fly fishing only section that starts 500 feet below SR 144 Bridge and extends upstream for 1.7 miles. This keeps plenty of fish in the creek during the hot summer months. Some wild trout and plenty of stocked trout exist below the delayed harvest water down to Kettle Creek Lake. Trout Unlimited and the Kettle Creek Watershed Association have planted trees to provide shade and to help stabilize the banks of some parts of the stream. This will also help keep the water temperatures lower.
Fly Fishing Guide to Kettle Creek: The methods, techniques and strategies you should use for fly fishing Kettle Creek depend on the section of the stream you are fishing. The upper part of Kettle Creek is a brook trout fishery. Access to the headwaters is best using SR 3001. The upper section can be reached via 44 east that leads from the town of Oleana. Pine Hill Road, or 44 East crosses over the stream not far from Oleana. You must hike upstream from this point. Both wild browns and native brook trout can be taken from this area. You can access the stream below Oleana from Route 144 South. This is where Little Kettle Creek converges with it and almost doubles its size. From Little Kettle Creek downstream past Ole Bull Park to the regulated water, the water is a mixture of fast riffles and runs with plenty of long slow runs.
The stream also receives the cool water from Cross Fork Creek, a good trout stream itself. From its confluence with Kettle Creek downstream the stream slows down and has longer, slower moving runs and pools. Hamersley Fork is the next downstream tributary stream. It too has cool water that helps keep Kettle Creek cool and is a fairly good trout stream itself. It adds some more wild brown trout to the mix. Hamersley Fork is also a great little brook trout stream with plenty of native trout. Fish holdover in this stream during the summer months. From Hamersley Fork convergence south to Kettle Creek Reservoir the stream is a mixture of fast and slow water with decent fishing. The water ranges from fast sections of riffles and runs to slow long runs and large pools. The method you use depends a lot on which type of water you are fishing. This best procedure is to try to match the hatch or what is about to hatch and most available for the trout to eat. The stream has excellent hatches, especially in its upper sections. It has a huge variety of mayflies, caddisflies, some stoneflies and plenty of midges. It is very clear most of the year and requires good presentations and flies. Use short, upstream cast in the fast water sections to avoid having a lot of fly line in the water. This helps keep a drag free drift. The wild brown trout aren’t easily fooled and you need very good presentations to stand a chance to catch them. The stocked trout are much easier to catch, of course.
Kettle Creek Hatches and Trout Flies:
Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing. Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in the Kettle Creek and in all stages of life that are applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call. We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our customers will use nothing else. 1-800-594-4726.
Kettle Creek is a very long stream with lots of different water types and aquatic insects. It has some very large aquatic insect hatches in some areas of the stream. The first hatches of the year are usually the Little Black Early Stoneflies. They start hatching in March. There will also be some Little Brown Early Stoneflies. They hatch for about a month. Also in March, you will find the first Blue-winged Olives starting to hatch. The many different species will hatch off and on until early Fall. There will be a peak in the blue-winged olive hatches again in June and then again in late September and October. Blue Quills and Quill Gordons hatch in April. Both of these mayflies start to hatch about the same time the water reaches about 50 degrees. The Quill Gordon hatch last for about a month but the Blue Quills can continue to hatch for up to two months. Hendricksons hatch the first three weeks of May. These include the Red Quill, of course. About the same time the larger American March Browns will begin to hatch. They will continue through the first week or two of June. Sulphurs start hatching about the middle of May. The hatch can last until the middle of June. Light Cahills and Pale Evening Duns both start to hatch in the fast water sections around the first of June and continue until the second week of July. In the slower to moderate flowing sections of water, there will be some Brown Drakes that start hatching in mid May. They hatch for about three weeks at the longest. Green Drakes hatch from the same water as the Brown Drakes. It too starts in the middle of May and last as long as a month. Slate Drakes start to hatch about the first of June. This hatch can last for a long time but not in any large quantities at any one time. Tricos will hatch in the slower water sections in July. The hatch last on into August. Caddisflies are also very plentiful in Kettle Creek. Spotted Sedges and Cinnamon Sedges are very plentiful in the moderate to slow sections. The different species start hatching around the first of May and continue until early Fall. Green Sedges are also found in the fast water sections. There are several other species of caddisflies. Imitations of terrestrial insects will catch trout from about the middle of June through the month of September. Ants and beetles are the most plentiful but inch worms and grasshoppers can be just as important. We recommend our “Perfect Fly” imitations. They are the most realistic imitations you can purchase to match the hatches on Kettle Creek. We have specific imitations of all the important insects. If you haven’t already tried them, please do. You will be glad you did.
Stream Reports:
01/02/18 The water is very low and very old, with lots of slush ice and deep snow on the banks. Midges & Winter stoneflies are the only hatches. 01/30/18 The stream levels are a little high, too high to wade most places. Midges and Winter stoneflies are still hatching
good.
02/13/18 The stream levels are down to near normal. The water is very cold but free of ice. Midges will catch trout – creams, light greens and blood midges are hatching.
02/20/18 The stream is very high and likely to be high for a few more days.
02/27/18 Flowing at 882 cfs at 2.99 ft. Median is 179 cfs. In other words, blown out.
03/06/18 The stream is still a little high, but clear and falling fast, By the time you read this it should be in good shape.
03/20/18 The stream levels are low and the water clear. it is a little colder and Midges and Winter stoneflies the only hatches.
03/27/18 Stream levels are in good shape with good hatches of Blue-winged olives. Starting anytime now, Quill Gordons, Blue Quills, Little Grannon (Apple) Black caddis and Little Brown stoneflies.
04/03/18 Stream levels are still good with midge and Blue-winged olive hatches. The water needs to come up just a few more degrees for the big hatches to start.
04/18/18 The stream levels are very high again, far too high to wade safely. It is falling and hopefully, will be down soon. Check back with us.
04/25/18 The stream levels are down to normal and the water clear. Several good hatches are taking place.
05/02/18 Levels are a little below normal and wading safe with caution. Blue-winged olives, Hendricksons/Red Quills, Blue Quills, Quill Gordons, Litle Black Caddis and LIttle Brown stoneflies are hatching.
05/09/18 American March Browns are starting to hatch. Conditions are good.
05/16/18 The stream levels are high, too high to wade safely in most areas. There are lots of hatches taking place. Fish our Sculpin streamers during the high water.
05/30/18 The stream levels are down but still a little high. There are lots of hatches and clear water. It should improve this week.
06/06/18 The stream is in good shape with good levels and lots of hatches taking place.
06/20/18 The stream is running a little low but otherwise, in good shape, There re multiple hatches and terrestrials are also starting to work well.
06/27/18 The stream is just a little above normal level with lots of hatches and lots of trout being caught. 07/04/18 The stream is still a little above normal level and in good shape. Wading is safe most places with caution. Good hatches are still taking place.
07/18/18 The stream levels are down a little below normal and good hatches continuing. Conditions are good.
07/25/18 The river is blown out flowing at 531 cfs. It is falling fast and should be back in good shape soon.
08/02/18 The stream levels are still high, too high to wade safely.
08/08/18 It is still high but can be waded in places and continues to fall. Good hatches are still taking place.
08/22/18 The stream levels are still a little higher than normal but safe to wade in some sections. Slate drakes are starting to hatch.
09/05/18 The stream is a little high but in good shape otherwise. There are some good hatches taking place. Trout are being caught in decent numbers.
09/19/18 Flowing at 758 cfs at 2.77 ft, or very high, too high to wade anywhere. Hopefully, it will fall back down very soon.
09/29/18 The stream is still very high, flowing at 542 cfs but falling back down and should be in shape to fish very soon.
10/16/18 The stream is still 429 cfs, or high, too high to wade most place. You can fish parts of it from the bank with Sculpin streamers and catch trout.
10/23/18 The stream is still a little high, flowing at 176 cfs at 1.33 ft. It can be waded in many sections.
11/06/18 The stream is still high, too high to wade safely most places. Sculpin Streamers are catching trout fished from the edges of the stream and banks.
11/16/18 The stream levels are still a little high. There are a few places you can wade near the edges of the stream. Sculpin streamers are catching some nice ones.
12/09/18 The stream levels are down in good shape but the water is about 36 degrees. Fish cream or red midges rigged in tandem.
12/23/18 The stream is very high but should fall back out in two days. Midges and BWOs are hatching. Send us an email for a fly list.
01/01/18 The stream is flowing at 1220 cfs at 3.38 ft., or very high. Needs to get down to 300-400 range to start fishing.
01/08/19 The stream levels are down and some sections can be waded. There are trout being caught on Sculpin streamers, Midges with larva and pupa rigged in tandem.
01/22/19 Flows are at 1220 cfs, which is blown out. Sorry, check back soon.
02/12/19 Flows are at 570 cfs at 2.40 ft. It is down but still a little too high to wade some places, okay in others.
02/19/19 The stream is down to just a little above normal. Trout are being caught in good numbers. Send us an email for a fly list.
sales@perfectflystore.com
02/28/19 Stream levels are a little below normal level. Trout are being caught in good numbers. Lots of winter stoneflies.
03/07/19 The stream level is a little below normal. The water is fairly cold so fish slow, near the bottom out of the fast current.
03/14/19 The stream is a little below normal level with some good BWO and midge hatche. We received two good reports from the past week.
03/24/19 The stream levels are down to a good normal level and clear. BWO and Midges are hatching but get ready for spring hatches coming very soon.
04/09/19 The creek is in great shape with clear water and some good hatches taking place. Good numbers of trout are being caught. Quill Gordons, Blue
Quills, Little Brown stones, Little Black caddis, Amer. March browns and BWOs.
04/23/19 Good numbers of trout were being caught before the high water levels. It is still too high to wade but falling. It is stained most places and some good hatches are taking place.
05/04/19 Stream levels are in good shape and trout are being caught.
There are some very good hatches taking place.
05/18/19 The stream is just a little above normal levels and the water
lightly stained to clear. There are Slate Drakes, Sulphurs, Cinnamon and Green caddis hatching. .
06/05/19 Good reports were coming in before the levels came up. It should drop back out soon. There are several good hatches taking place.
06/13/19 The stream levels are still high but can be waded with caution in most places. Good numbers of trout are being caught and lots of insects are hatching.
06/20/19 The creek is blown out from heavy rain. It was turning out good
numbers of trout with good hatches and will again as soon as it falls back out.
06/29/19 The stream is still a little high and lightly stained. Wading isn’t safe many places. Some areas could be waded wtih caution. Lot of hatches are taking place.
07/06/19 The stream is a little above normal level but can be waded most places. Good hatches are taking place and good numbers of trout being caught.
07/13/19 Stream levels are barely above normal and can be waded safely
most anywhere. Lots of trout are being caught.
07/21/19 The stream levels are a little above normal with wading tough in some place and okay with caution in others. Fish early and late in the day.
07/30/19 The stream levels are still flowing a little above normal. You can wade most places with caution. Trout are being caught in good numbers.
08/08/19 The stream is in good shape and good numbers of trout are being caught. Good hatches continue.
08/15/19 The stream is flowing at a normal level. There are trout being caught in good numbers by our customers.
08/30/19 The stream is near a normal level and clear. We are getting some good reports from customers. Fish early and late in the day.
09/10/19 The creek is just a little above normal levels, and that is good. There are trout being caught in good numbers, good hatches and terrestrials work.
09/21/19 The stream level is down to normal, there are some good hatches and we are getting good reports from customers.
10/02/19 The stream levels continue to be just a little below normal and wading safe and easy most places. We continue to get good reports.
10/20/19 The stream levels are down to normal levels and in good shape. Our customers are giving good reports. Midges, BWOs, are hatching very good. Our articulated streamers are getting the large ones.
10/28/19 The stream levels have gone back up to above normal, but it is in good shape at this time. Rain later in the week could bring levels up further. There are good hatches taking place and Sculpin patterns are working as well as Midges rigged in tandem.
11/24/19 Stream levels are a little below normal and our customers are catching lots of trout. Excellent condition currently exist.
02/01/2020 The stream is flowing just a little below normal level and in good shape. We are getting some good reports from customers.
02/24/2020 The stream levels are normal and the creek in good shape.
Our customers are catching some nice trout.Send us an email for a fly list. sales@perfectflystore.com
03/09/2020 Stream levels are just a little above normal and the water clear. We continue to get good reports.
03/24/2020 The creek is running a little above normal level but our customers are still catching good numbers of trout.
04/13/2020 Stream levels are normal and the water clear. There are good hatches taking place and our customers are reporting some good catches.
04/24/20 Stream levels are a little above normal but otherwise in good shape. Trout are being caught in good numbers.
05/08/20 Stream levels are just a little above normal and clear. There are multiple hatches taking place and you should be able to catch plenty trout.
05/25/20 The stream levels are in great shape and the water clear. There are lots of hatching insects and trout are being caught in good numbers.
06/06/20 The creek is in very good shape with lots of insects hatching. Dry fly fishing is excellent. We continue to get some very good reports from customers.
06/20/20 The stream levels are down to a normal level. There are still plenty of hatches taking place and you should be able to catch good numbers of trout.
06/30/20 the stream levels are quite low and you need to use extra caution to stay low and hidden from the trout as possible. Trout are still being caught.
07/10/20 The stream levels are low and you have to use caution to stay hidden from the trout. There are still some good hatches and terrestrials are working.
07/24/20 The stream levels are just a little below normal. We received two good reports from the past week. There are still some good hatches taking place.
08/11/20 The stream levels are still low and stealth in required to be successful. We still are getting some good reports from customers. Rain would help.
08/29/20 The creek is very low but there is rain forecast and it should come back up. We were getting good reports from customers. There are some good hatches.
09/16/20 The stream levels are very low and the water fairly warm. Trout can be caught if you can stay hidden from them.
10/06/20 There are good BWOs, Mahogany duns, Green sedge caddis,
Great Autumn brown sedges and little Yellow stoneflies hatching. We are getting good reports from customers.
10/20/20 Stream levels are on the way up and still a little below normal. We received some good reports from the low water but that isn’t a problem now.
11/05/20 The stream is in good shape and our customers are sending in some very good reports. Good hatches and our sculpin streamers are working good.
11/17/20 The stream levels are normal and the stream in good shape. We
continue to get some good catch reports from customers.
12/07/20 Stream levels are in good shape and we are getting some very
good reports. Midges and little BWOs are hatching and our Sculpin streamers are working good.
12/23/20 We continue to get good reports. Stream levels are back down
and winter stoneflies are hatching.
01/05/21 The stream is a little high but trout are still being caught. Good midge, winter stonefly and little BWO hatches,
01/18/21 Steam levels are normal and the creek in good shape. We are getting some recent good reports from customers.
02/06/21 The water is very cold with slush ice. Suggest you wait until it warms up a little.
02/25/21 The stream levels are up to normal and conditions not bad. The
water is cold but fish cream and/or our red midges and winter stoneflies and you should catch trout.
04/24/21 The stream is flowing a little below normal level and clear. We are getting some good reports from customers. There are good hatches of Hendricksons/Red Quills, Blue Quills, Quills Gordons, Little Black Caddis, BWOs, Little Brown stoneflies and others. Send us an email or call us for a recommended fly and gear list.
05/04/21 In additions to the above flies, American March Browns are also hatching. We are getting good reports from customers.
05/12/21 The stream levels are fine and the water clear. We are still getting very good reports from customers. In additions to the above, Eastern Pale evening duns, called Sulphurs by many, are hatching. Green Sedge caddis are hatching.
05/21/21 The stream is flowing a little low but trout are still being caught by our customers in good numbers. There are good hatches taking place now including Light Cahills and Slate Drakes.
06/04/21 The stream is clear and flowing at a normal level. There are good numbers of trout being caught by our customers. Good hatches are taking place.
06/14/21 Kettle Creek is in good shape with good numbers of trout being caught. There are very good hatches taking place. Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations.
06/25/21 The stream levels are near normal and the stream in good shape. W are getting good reports from customers fishing the creek thanks to the very good hatches taking place. This should continue into the coming week.
Current Fishing report is now at the top of the page.