Allegheny River below Kinzua Dam Fishing Guides
Pennsylvania's best-known coldwater tailwater, released from the bottom of Kinzua Dam into the Allegheny National Forest, holding trout through summer and big walleye and musky below.
Map of the Allegheny River below Kinzua Dam
12 numbered points: 1 bridge, 4 parks and conservation areas, 1 agency office, 1 regulation section limit, 1 hazard, 1 USGS gauge, 3 points of interest. Tap a marker for details. Reviewed Sep 25, 2026.
- Bridge crossing (1)
- Park / conservation area (4)
- Agency / conservation office (1)
- Regulation section limit (1)
- Dam / hazard (1)
- USGS gauge (1)
- Point of interest (3)
Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
Open the printable mapAll 12 points on this map
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinzua Dam US Army Corps of Engineers · NID PA00105 | Dam / hazard | 41.83974, -79.00249 | Head of the tailwater and the upstream limit of the 8.68-mile PFBC special-regulation reach - the PASDA limit landed 160 m away, so the boundary rides in here rather than as a second marker. |
| 2 | USGS 03012545 Allegheny River below Kinzua Dam at Big Bend Second USGS station on the reach | Point of interest | 41.83867, -79.00493 | Carries dissolved oxygen and temperature. Not the sheet's gauge - the water page reads 03012550 at the dam. |
| 3 | Allegheny National Fish Hatchery US Fish and Wildlife Service | Agency / conservation office | 41.84128, -79.00562 | On the left bank at Big Bend, 148 m off the centreline; re-typed from the OSM aquaculture polygon. |
| 4 | USGS 03012550 Allegheny River at Kinzua Dam Flow and stage | USGS gauge | 41.84145, -79.01198 | Roster coordinate matched OSM node 12077713975 exactly and scored 144 m off the chained centreline at 0.99 km below the dam. |
| 5 | Big Bend Bird Viewing Platform Big Bend day-use area | Point of interest | 41.84215, -79.01617 | 101 m off the water at the Corps day-use area below the dam - the one piece of public furniture OSM carries on the upper reach. |
| 6 | Pennsylvania Avenue East (US 6 Business) Glade Bridge, Warren | Bridge crossing | 41.82403, -79.11912 | The ONLY road crossing of the reach. Four OSM ways carry the deck and its ramp; they ship as one crossing. |
| 7 | Lacy Park City of Warren | Park / conservation area | 41.83307, -79.12422 | 539 m off the water - the first riverside park downstream of the dam. |
| 8 | Point Park City of Warren · Allegheny and Conewango confluence | Park / conservation area | 41.84065, -79.14291 | 257 m off the centreline at the point where Conewango Creek comes in and the reach ends. |
| 9 | Celoron Park City of Warren | Park / conservation area | 41.84390, -79.14261 | |
| 10 | Soldier & Sailors Park City of Warren | Park / conservation area | 41.84396, -79.14850 | |
| 11 | Lower limit of the PFBC special-regulation reach, at Warren PFBC section 7 - lower limit | Regulation section limit | 41.84066, -79.14632 | Downstream end of the 8.68-mile reach below Kinzua Dam. Landed 21 m off the chained line, and the chain between the two limits measures 8.64 miles against PFBC's published 8.68. |
| 12 | USGS 03015500 Allegheny River below Conewango Creek at Warren Third USGS station on the reach | Point of interest | 41.84395, -79.14977 | Sits just below the reach's lower limit, at the Conewango confluence. |
Guides on the Allegheny River below Kinzua Dam
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About the Allegheny River below Kinzua Dam
The Allegheny River below Kinzua Dam is the tailwater that Pennsylvania anglers mean when they talk about year round trout water on a big river. Kinzua Dam impounds the Allegheny Reservoir on the New York line and releases from depth, so the water entering the river below it comes out cold even in August. That single fact transforms a river which above the reservoir is an ordinary warmwater stream into a coldwater fishery for the reach below the dam, and the gauge at the dam reads discharge, stage, water temperature and dissolved oxygen so that anglers can see exactly what is being released.
Flow here is managed rather than natural, and that is the central thing to understand. Releases change with power generation, flood control and downstream needs, and the river can rise substantially within an hour. Anyone wading below the dam needs to know the schedule and watch the level, because this is a large river and the change is not gradual. When flows are moderate the wading is excellent over gravel and cobble, and a drift boat opens the reach considerably.
Brown trout and rainbow trout hold in the cold water nearest the dam, supported by stocking and by the thermal refuge the release provides through summer. As the water warms downstream the fishery shifts, and the Allegheny below Warren is celebrated in its own right for smallmouth bass, walleye and musky. That progression from trout to warmwater over a modest distance is unusual and it means a visiting angler can fish two quite different rivers in a day.
Access is good through the Allegheny National Forest, with pull offs, boat launches and Warren close by for services. Pressure is real near the dam and thins downstream.
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Access
Warren - the town a short way downstream, with lodging, food, tackle and guides.
Kinzua Dam - the release point and the top of the tailwater, with parking and access below.
Allegheny National Forest - the public land surrounding the river, with launches and camping.
Allegheny Reservoir - the large impoundment above the dam, a separate fishery in its own right.
Boat launches between the dam and Warren - the practical access for drift boats and jet craft.
Conewango Creek - the tributary entering at Warren, marking the shift toward warmwater.
Bradford - a regional town to the east with additional lodging and services.
Seasons
Spring: high managed flows and cold water, with trout near the dam and walleye moving through the reach below.
Summer: the release keeps the upper tailwater cold while the rest of the state warms, and this is when the river is most valuable.
Fall: falling flows and cooling water bring the best fishing of the year, with brown trout and strong smallmouth action downstream.
Winter: the tailwater stays open and ice free near the dam, and dedicated anglers fish it through the cold months.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Allegheny River below Kinzua Dam?
As of Nov 10, 6:00 pm, the USGS gauge Allegheny River at Kinzua Dam, PA reads 1,380 cfs, with water temperature 57.6 F. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Allegheny River below Kinzua Dam?
Anglers target Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Musky, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Sucker, Yellow Perch on the Allegheny River below Kinzua Dam in Pennsylvania.
Where can you access the Allegheny River below Kinzua Dam?
Warren - the town a short way downstream, with lodging, food, tackle and guides. Kinzua Dam - the release point and the top of the tailwater, with parking and access below. Allegheny National Forest - the public land surrounding the river, with launches and camping. Allegheny Reservoir - the large impoundment above the dam, a separate fishery in its own right. Boat launches between the dam and Warren - the practical access for drift boats and jet craft. Conewango Creek - the tributary entering at Warren, marking the shift toward warmwater. Bradford - a regional town to the east with additional...
When is the best time to fish the Allegheny River below Kinzua Dam?
Spring: high managed flows and cold water, with trout near the dam and walleye moving through the reach below. Summer: the release keeps the upper tailwater cold while the rest of the state warms, and this is when the river is most valuable. Fall: falling flows and cooling water bring the best fishing of the year, with brown trout and strong smallmouth action downstream. Winter: the tailwater stays open and ice free near the dam, and dedicated anglers fish it through the cold months.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Allegheny River below Kinzua Dam?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Pennsylvania agency site: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/fishandboat/fishing/regulations