Youghiogheny River Fishing Map & Spots (PA)

Hatch outlook

White mayfly (Ephoron)Active window

Typical here: Jul 10 – Sep 10 · the famous late-summer smallmouth surface event — dusk to dark, ~7:30–9:30pm; starts on the lower Susquehanna below Wrightsville and spreads upriver; fish gorge so hard early that they can be stuffed before the hatch ends

dundusk — the whole life cycle plays out in one evening — females mate, fly miles upstream and fall spent within a couple of hours; when the blizzard is too thick, your fly disappears in the crowd — fish the edges of the swarm
spinnerfull dark, same night

Smallmouth set up in feeding lanes like trout and will not move far — accuracy beats distance.

The best conventional surface window of late summer on smallmouth rivers: small white or bone surface plugs and propbaits in the last hour of light, white inline spinners run upstream through the feeding lanes, or a bubble with a White Wulff.

The event happens over sand- and silt-bottom runs with moderate current, feeding lanes below riffles

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Youghiogheny River

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Youghiogheny River on the board.

Fishing Youghiogheny River: what the data says

Confluence to Ohiopyle. A cold tailwater trout fishery through the Laurel Highlands. The river tops out around 8 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.

The drawn water covers 162 acres wrapped in 21 miles of bank. A development index of 11.8 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Call it 7.8 mi long by 1.7 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Fayette County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Youghiogheny River Lake, is 7 mi to the south.

Rainbow Trout fishing at Youghiogheny River

Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 8 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 8 ft. Start at Current seam (mile 1.6). It's a current seam holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 1.6) (4 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	2 to 8 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 1.6) (4 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	2 to 8 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 1.6) (4 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	2 to 8 ft	dawn	Current seam (mile 1.6) (4 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Brown Trout fishing at Youghiogheny River

Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 1 to 8 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Current seam (mile 1.6), a current seam in the 4 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in after dark and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 8 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 1.6) (4 ft)	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	2 to 8 ft	night & dawn	Current seam (mile 1.6) (4 ft)	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	1 to 8 ft	dusk & dawn	Riffle & run (mile 3.7) (3 ft)	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	1 to 8 ft	dawn	Current seam (mile 1.6) (4 ft)	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Youghiogheny River

Spring smallmouth bass on Youghiogheny River hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 8 ft in summer, 2 to 8 ft once it turns cold. Put Riffle & run (mile 3.7) first on the milk run — a rock pile near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	dawn & dusk	Riffle & run (mile 3.7) (3 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	2 to 8 ft	dawn & dusk	Riffle & run (mile 3.7) (3 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Current seam (mile 1.6) (4 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	2 to 8 ft	midday	Current seam (mile 1.6) (4 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Notable structure

6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Yough Dam tailrace, around 7 ft, is the deepest of them.

Yough Dam tailrace: creek channel, around 7 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 5.8): creek channel, around 6 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 7.9): creek channel, around 6 ft
Current seam (mile 1.6): current seam, around 4 ft
Riffle & run (mile 3.7): rock pile, around 3 ft
Riffle & run (mile 10.0): rock pile, around 3 ft

Youghiogheny River fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Pennsylvania waters are set by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission — and special regulations can apply to Youghiogheny River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Pennsylvania fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Youghiogheny River?

Youghiogheny River is about 8 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in Youghiogheny River?

Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass on Youghiogheny River.

Where is the best fishing spot on Youghiogheny River?

Current seam (mile 1.6) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Youghiogheny River?

For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

What are the fishing regulations for Youghiogheny River?

Fishing on Youghiogheny River is regulated by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission. Check the official Pennsylvania regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Youghiogheny River Lake 7 mi, MD/PA · Deep Creek Lake 24 mi, MD · Cheat Lake 26 mi, WV · Savage River Reservoir 27 mi, MD · Monongahela River 29 mi, WV/PA · Fairfax Ponds Lake 31 mi, WV · Jennings Randolph Lake 33 mi, MD/WV · Pedlar Dixon Lake 38 mi, WV · Pedlar Mason Lake 38 mi, WV · Fort Ashby Lake 41 mi, WV · Rocky Gap Lake 42 mi, MD · New Creek Dam 14 43 mi, WV

See how Youghiogheny River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Pennsylvania · best rainbow trout lakes in Pennsylvania · best brown trout lakes in Pennsylvania

Browse all Pennsylvania fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.