Little Juniata River Fishing Report: 11/20/24
The stream is flowing a little below a normal level with clear water. Good hatches are taking place. We are getting good catch reports from customers.
Perfect Flies are designed and tied to to imitate and behave like the natural foods the trout rely on to survive as much as possible. The more your fly looks like and moves through and on the surface of the water like the real things, the higher your odds of success.
(The old fishing report archive is at the bottom of this page) 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 and a Limestone Spring
River
Species
Brown Trout (Wild and stocked)
Rainbows (Stocked)
Size
Large
Location
Central Pennsylvania
Nearest Towns
Tyrone
Petersburg
Spruce Creek
Baree
Season
Mid April through February
USGS Stream Conditions: At Spruce Creek
Special Regulations
Catch and Release Section
Access:
Good
Non-Resident License
State of Pennsylvania
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Options For Selecting Flies:
1. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com)
with the dates you will be fishing this stream and we will send you a list of our fly suggestions. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response.
2. Call us 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide which flies you need
3. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com)
with a budget for flies and we will select them to match the budget and get them to you in time for your fly fishing trip.
All orders are shipped free in the
U. S. Orders over $100 are shipped via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2016 James Marsh
The Little Juniata River, better known as the Little J, is one of Pennsylvania’s best trout streams. It’s a rather large tributary of the Juniata River. Fly fishing the Little Juniata River is as good as it gets in the Eastern United States.
The upper section flows from Altoona through the Logan Valley for about fifteen miles and is primarily a stocked, freestone stream. It has some small tributaries such as Bells Gap and Tipton Runs, and one large tributary, Bald Eagle Creek. These streams help improve the water quality near their confluence but all things considered, the upper freestone section is rather marginal for trout.
The upper section parallels Route #453 from Tyrone towards Water Street. This is a busy highway and you must access the river from pull offs along the road. This section of the Little Juniata River varies from deep fast water runs to more moderate flows that is easy to wade.
The section that’s gives the Little Juniata River is reputation as a top trout stream lies downstream of Tyrone. Its water chemistry is greatly enhanced from the flows from several large limestone springs. This section flows through a very scenic area referred to as the narrows and is bordered by limestone cliffs. The added water from the many springs not only cools the river, it greatly increases it’s aquatic insect and crustacean population providing the perfect habitat for large brown trout. In essence, it changes the freestone stream into a Limestone Spring River.
This section flows through the town of Spruce Creek. There are some rather large pools connected by riffles. Wading is usually fairly easy but there are some deep areas. It’s by far the most popular area for anglers to fish. Access is available from some of the roads in Spruce Creek. There is a large section of private property downstream of the State Route #45 bridge.
The lower section of the Little J flows through Rothrock State Forest to Petersburg. This section flows through a gorge area that can only be accessed by foot. This section features some large, rather deep pools that are connected by riffles and runs.
Wading can be difficult anywhere in the Little Juniata River due to its slick bottom from its high pH, but especially in this section of the river. You can access this section via a trail leading from a parking lot at the end of Mountain Road. Wading isn’t easy in some
parts of this section, so you should exercise caution. This is the best section to fish during the hot summer.
Little Juniata River Fly Fishing Guide:
The Little J’s wild brown trout grow at an excellent rate and are able to attain a very large size. The state of Pennsylvania also stocks brown trout fingerlings each year. These small trout grow fast and adapt well enough that within a few months, one would be hard pressed to tell the difference in the stocked brown trout and the wild brown trout. Certainly the trout have to learn all about the trout food within the stream from a very young time in their life. They can be just as selective as the wild trout. Like most limestone spring creeks and those influenced by limestone water with a high pH, most of the trout feed on the bottom. When the brown trout get about 12 inches long, they begin to feed on the surface far less and depend on foods as well as the aquatic insects. Brown trout also have a strong tendency to feed in low light situations. The larger brown trout stay hidden most of the day. You have got to put your fly where they are hiding to catch them under these conditions.It is also far better to fish during cloudy, heavily overcast and rainy conditions. This isn’t to say that the large brown trout won’t
feed on mayfly and stonefly nymphs and caddisfly larvae. They do. Although the trout do take dry flies at times, you are usually much better off in terms of catching numbers of trout using subsurface presentations. The larger brown trout tend to feed on sculpin and baitfish as well as the aquatic insects and crustaceans. By the same token, don’t think they won’t lie in deeper water on the bottom and feed on midge larvae and emerging pupae. This is especially true during the winter months when they are somewhat inactive and don’t move around much looking for food.
Little Juniata 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 Little Juniata River 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.
Like Spruce Creek, this stream has a huge aquatic insect population. When major hatches occur, the brown trout almost feed exclusively or selectively on the particular insect that is hatching. That can be both good and bad. If you match it correctly, you can usually catch some nice brown trout. If not, you can do a lot of casting and spook a lot of trout. During the winter, midges are about the only game but imitations of them will catch fish most any day of the winter. In the early Spring, the Blue-winged Olives start hatching around the first of April and last past the middle of May. They will hatch a second time starting in September and last until about the middle of October. Other than the BWOs, the Blue Quills and Hendricksons are the first of the mayflies to hatch. They both start around the first of April. Usually the Blue Quills are the first to hatch. Both hatches last less than a month depending where you are fishing the stream. Just prior to the start of these mayfly hatches you will find the Little Black Caddis or American Grannom caddisflies hatching. The hatch last less than a month. The Green Sedges start about the same time but last through the month of June. The Cinnamon Caddis hatch for about two months starting around the first of June. There are several other minor caddisfly hatches that occur. Slate Drakes and Sulphurs both start to hatch about the first of May. The Slate Drakes hatch is off and on for the next five months or longer. The Sulphur is one of the better hatches. It last until about the middle of June. The big Eastern Green Drakes will hatch near the end of May and last about two to three weeks. Light Cahills hatch starting about the same time and continue for approximately a month.
Tricos hatch starting around the first of July and last through August. About the time the hatch ends the White Flies start hatching keeping some type of mayfly on the water during the late summer and early fall. The White Flies, called White Drakes by some anglers, will hatch until about the end of October. The terrestrial season gets underway on Spruce Creek about the middle of June. Grasshopper and beetles are usually the first insects you will notice but the ants get large enough to get the trout’s attention not long after that. Another thing you don’t want to overlook is the little green inch worms or moth larvae. They fall off
the trees lining the stream and are eaten by the trout. Caneflies are another insect you shouldn’t ignore. They become important in the late summer when few hatches are occurring. Specific imitations of what is hatching and/or most available are much better than generic or attractor flies on Little Juniata Creek. You may want to carry a few streamer flies along. They are good when the water gets a little off color from heavy rains.
Little Juniata River Fishing Report: 01/01/19 The stream levels are still very high, far too high to wade safely. It is falling and with little to no rain in the forecast, it should come back down fast. Fish sculpin streamers while it is still high. There are a few places you can fish from the bank.
01/22/19 The stream levels are a little high but can be waded many places and trout are being caught in good numbers.
02/05/19 The stream is currently just a little above normal level but rain in on the way and we expect it to go up again. Trout were being caught in good numbers yesterday and today.
02/19/19 The stream is just a little above normal level and trout are being caught in the stocked and wild trout sections. Send us an email for a fly list: sales@perfectflystore.com
02/28/19 The stream is flowing at 892 cfs at 3.64 ft. That is high, too high to wade most anywhere. It should start falling and be back in good shape soon.
03/07/19 The stream level is in good shape and trout are being caught in good numbers. Both the wild and stocked sections are turning out trout.
03/24/19 The stream levels are good with trout being caught in all sections. Get ready for the spring hatches coming soon.
04/09/19 Conditions are good with levels a little low but otherwise fine. Lots of hatches are starting up and lots of trout are being caught.
04/23/19 The flows and levels are just a little above normal. There are some good hatches taking place. You should be able to catch plenty of trout in any section of the river.
04/28/19 Stream levels are running just a little above normal level and mostly clear. We received two good reports from this past week.
05/04/19 The creek is back down to a normal level and the water clear. There are lots of insects hatching and trout are being caught in all sections.
05/18/19 The stream is running just a little above normal with multiple hatches taking place. Conditions are good in all sections.
06/05/19 There are several good hatches taking place but the stream is still high, too high to wade most places but falling out fast and should be okay very soon.
06/20/19 The river is very high due to heavy rain. Trout were being caught in good numbers before the high levels and will again as soon as they drop.
06/29/19 The stream levels are down to just a tad above normal and the water clear. Trout are being caught in good numbers. Lots of hatches are going on.
07/06/19 The stream is a little high but falling back down fast. It should be safe to wade by Monday. There are lots of insects hatching and lots of trout are being caught. Send us an email for a fly list: sales@perfectflystore.com
07/13/19 The lower canyon section (we call it) is turning out good numbers of wild trout for those fishing it right. The upper and middles sections are also producing. Good hatches are still taking place.
07/20/19 The stream levels are down to normal levels and the water in great shape. The canyon section (Wild trout) is turning out some good trout. There are still lots of insect hatching. We recommend fishing early and late in the day.
07/21/19 The stream levels are down to just a little below normal and the water in good shape. Our customers are sending in very good reports. All sections of the stream are turning out trout but we recommend the Gorge area in the lower section.
08/08/19 Conditions remain good. Our customers are still reporting good
numbers of trout caught. Fish the lower canyon section for the best results.
08/15/19 The stream is running a little above normal but falling fast and will be in good shape by tomorrow. Fish the canyon section for the best results. There are still good hatches taking place.
09/10/19 The stream levels are okay, the water a little cooler and trout are being caught in good numbers in the narrows.
09/21/19 The stream levels are normal and all sections of the stream turning out good numbers of trout.
10/02/19 The stream levels continue to be just a little below normal making it safe and easy to wade most sections. The lower sections of the river seem to be turning out the most trout. We continue to get good reports from our customers.
10/20/19 The stream levels are in good shape and our customers are reporting good catches in all sections of the stream. There are still some good hatches including lots of blood midges and BWOs.
02/01/2020 The stream is running above normal, but in good shape and we are getting good reports. Rain later in the week could raise levels.
02/24/20 The stream levels are good and trout are being caught in good numbers. Send us an email for a fly list.
03/09/2020 Stream levels are a little below normal and the water clear. We continue to get some very good reports from customers. Send us an email for a fly list: sales@perfectflystore.com
04/12/2020 The stream levels are in good shape and there are some very good hatches of Quill Gordons, Blue Quills, Little Black caddis, Little Brown stoneflies and Hendrickson/Red Quills are starting.
04/24/20 The stream is flowing about a normal level and clear. Trout are being caught in all sections of the river. There are some hatches taking place.
05/25/20 Stream levels are just a little above normal level. There are lots of insects hatching. You may have some cripples this cool weekend but heavy hatches next week. Send us an email for a fly list.
06/06/20 The stream levels are in good shape and there are lots of insects hatching. Dry fly fishing is going good. We continue to get good reports from customers.
06/20/20 The river is in good shape with good stream levels and we continue to get good reports from customers. There are multiple hatches taking place.
07/10/20 fhe stream is low and you have to stay hidden from the trout to catch them. Our customers are still sending in good reports. There are still a lot of
hatching insects and terrestrial imitations are working very good.
07/22/20 The stream levels are still a little below normal. We did receive a couple of good reports this past week. There are still plenty hatching insects and terrestrial imitations should also work good.
08/08/20 The stream levels are still a little below normal. Wading is safe and easy but you have to stay low, and as hidden from the trout as possible.
08/28/20 Stream levels are up and the river in good shape. Fish the canyon section for the best results. There are still a lot of hatching insects. Trout are being
caught by our customers in good numbers. This coming week should be a
good one.
09/16/20 The stream levels are low and you do have to use strealth, dress to match the background and stay as hidden as possible. Trout are being caught by our customers. There are still plenty hatching insects and our terrestrial patterns are also working good.
10/05/20 The stream levels are just a little below normal and we are getting some very good reports from customers. Good hatches of BWOs, Mahogany duns and other insects are taking place.
10/20/20 We are getting some very good reports from customers. Stream
levels are near normal and there are some very good hatches taking place.
05/04/21 The stream is currently just a little above normal level but falling. We have been getting some very good reports. Lot of hatches are taking place – Blue Quills, BWOs, Green sedge caddis, little black caddis, little brown stoneflies, Hendricksons/red quills, American March Browns.
05/12/21 The stream is flowing at a good level and clear. In addition to the above, there are Eastern Pale Evening duns, mostly called Sulphurs hatching. Slate Drakes are also hatching.
05/21/21 The stream is still in good shape but rather low. You need to take caution to stay hidden from the trout. Lots of insects are hatching including Eastern Green Drakes and Slate Drakes. Send us an email or call us for a recommended fly list.
06/04/21 The stream is in very good shape with normal levels, clear water and lots of insects hatching. We are getting lots of good reports.
06/14/21 The stream continues to produce some good hatches and turning out good numbers of trout for our customers. 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 is flowing a good bit below normal level but otherwise in good shape. We continue to get good catch reports from customers.