Swatara Creek near Palmyra
River flow & level · USGS gauge 01573208 · Pennsylvania · drains 437 sq mi
Latest reading Oct 26, 12:30 PM · streamflow
The Swatara Creek at Palmyra is running 260 cfs. Gage height is 3.42 ft. Flow is down 7% from 24 hours ago.
Streamflow
cubic feet per secondReading
Gage height & flood stages
ft above gauge datumReading
Swatara Creek near Palmyra fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 12:50 PM ETWater 50°F, flow steady, calm wind — good fall fishing day (6/10), best window 7:36 AM–8:36 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp50°Fmeasured Oct 26, 12:30 PM · this gauge
- Air temphigh 70°F / low 45°FSunny
- WindCalm0–7 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 12
- Flow260 cfsFlow steady (-7% in 24 h)
Official Pennsylvania fishing report: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission — Biologist reports
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
6/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:29 AM · Sunset 6:10 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon underfoot12:12 PM–2:12 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:36 AM–8:36 AMSunrise
- Moonrise5:40 PM–6:40 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 6/10Good | Major 12:12 PM–2:12 PM Minor 7:36 AM–8:36 AM · 5:40 PM–6:40 PM Calm wind 0–7 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 4/10Fair | Major 12:41 AM–2:41 AM · 1:11 PM–3:11 PM Minor 8:54 AM–9:54 AM · 6:21 PM–7:21 PM Calm wind 2–5 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 2/10Poor | Major 1:42 AM–3:42 AM · 2:13 PM–4:13 PM Minor 10:11 AM–11:11 AM · 7:12 PM–8:12 PM Calm wind 2–5 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 5/10Fair | Major 2:46 AM–4:46 AM · 3:18 PM–5:18 PM Minor 11:22 AM–12:22 PM · 8:15 PM–9:15 PM Light wind 0–7 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 4/10Fair | Major 3:50 AM–5:50 AM · 4:22 PM–6:22 PM Minor 12:21 PM–1:21 PM · 9:26 PM–10:26 PM Light wind 2–7 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:52 AM–6:52 AM · 5:22 PM–7:22 PM Minor 1:09 PM–2:09 PM · 10:41 PM–11:41 PM Calm wind 1–4 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:50 AM–6:50 AM · 5:17 PM–7:17 PM Minor 12:47 PM–1:47 PM · 10:56 PM–11:56 PM Light wind 1–6 mph |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the river is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moonset × sunrise +1; Moonrise × sunset +1) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 0.5 days) | 2 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · flow within ±15% in 24 h +1, rising over 25% −1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 1 |
| Today | 6, rounded | 6/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page; water temperature measured at this gauge. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 40.32, -76.63 (moon times from astronomical equations, Swatara Creek near Palmyra local time).
Weather & wind at Swatara Creek near Palmyra
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon70° / 45°SunnyWind NW 7 mphRain 0%
- Tuesday66° / 41°SunnyWind N 5 mphRain 0%
- Wednesday66° / 47°Partly SunnyWind SE 5 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 40.322, -76.629 (grid CTP), issued Oct 26, 12:06 PM local time. High / low are air temperatures; water temperature is in the fishing section above. The “Air temp & weather” tile at the top refreshes live.
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 270 | -4% |
| Sun Oct 25 | 280 | -5% |
| Sat Oct 24 | 296 | -6% |
| Fri Oct 23 | 314 | -7% |
| Thu Oct 22 | 339 | -8% |
| Wed Oct 21 | 367 | -9% |
| Tue Oct 20 | 402 | -10% |
| Mon Oct 19 | 448 | -17% |
| Sun Oct 18 | 540 | -26% |
| Sat Oct 17 | 734 | +18% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Swatara Creek near Hershey3 mi · River280 cfs89% of normal
- Swatara Creek at Harper Tavern6 mi · River186 cfs108% of normal
- Swatara Creek at Middletown10 mi · River2.16 ftstage 2.16 ft
- Susquehanna River at Harrisburg14 mi · River11,900 cfs114% of normal
- West Conewago Creek near Manchester17 mi · River109 cfs87% of normal
- Susquehanna River at Marietta19 mi · River12,700 cfs119% of normal
About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 01573208 — Swatara Creek near Palmyra, PA
- Location
- 40.3222, -76.6294 · Pennsylvania
- Drainage area
- 437 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- Not available (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 12:30 PM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 12:50 PM ET
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Water Data for the Nation (USGS monitoring location page). Readings every 15–60 minutes; the newest values are provisional. Percentiles compare today’s reading with every past year’s daily mean for the same calendar date. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.