South Branch (Franklin)
Stocked stream · Pendleton County · Franklin
Last stocked: 4 months ago (Wed, May 27, 2026)
South Branch (Franklin) is a WV DNR trout-stocked stream in Pendleton County, West Virginia, near Franklin. WVDNR's 2026 stocking schedule: one stocking each week, March through May; one stocking each week for two weeks beginning the third Monday of October.
Recent trout stockings
- Wed, May 27, 20264 months ago
- Thu, May 21, 20264 months ago
- Wed, May 13, 20264 months ago
Showing the three most recent stockings. Free data is delayed 24 hours.
Stream conditions
USGS gauge · Sep 17, 2:50 PM EDT
South Branch Potomac River at Franklin (USGS 01605500) · 0.7 mi from this water
Gauge is at Franklin, on the stocked section.
- Flow
- 26 cfs
- Steady vs. 24 h ago
- Below normal for Sep 17 · about 73% of the median daily flow (36 cfs)
- Gage height
- 1.54 ft
- Water temperature
- 79°F
- near Springfield · 66.3 mi downstream
7-day range 28 cfs – 34 cfs (the shaded days)
median daily flow for the date (USGS normals)
today so far (26 cfs) · the latest reading, not yet a daily mean
Daily mean flow with each day’s low–high band, through Wed, Sep 16, 2026; today’s reading is not yet a daily mean
Show the daily values
| Day | Mean | Low | High | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19 | 62 cfs | 62 cfs | 62 cfs | 40 cfs |
| Aug 20 | 54 cfs | 54 cfs | 54 cfs | 40 cfs |
| Aug 21 | 47 cfs | 47 cfs | 47 cfs | 40 cfs |
| Aug 22 | 45 cfs | 45 cfs | 45 cfs | 40 cfs |
| Aug 23 | 69 cfs | 69 cfs | 69 cfs | 40 cfs |
| Aug 24 | 51 cfs | 51 cfs | 51 cfs | 40 cfs |
| Aug 25 | 43 cfs | 43 cfs | 43 cfs | 40 cfs |
| Aug 26 | 39 cfs | 39 cfs | 39 cfs | 39 cfs |
| Aug 27 | 38 cfs | 38 cfs | 38 cfs | 39 cfs |
| Aug 28 | 76 cfs | 76 cfs | 76 cfs | 38 cfs |
| Aug 29 | 59 cfs | 59 cfs | 59 cfs | 38 cfs |
| Aug 30 | 48 cfs | 48 cfs | 48 cfs | 38 cfs |
| Aug 31 | 43 cfs | 43 cfs | 43 cfs | 38 cfs |
| Sep 1 | 40 cfs | 40 cfs | 40 cfs | 38 cfs |
| Sep 2 | 36 cfs | 36 cfs | 36 cfs | 38 cfs |
| Sep 3 | 34 cfs | 34 cfs | 34 cfs | 38 cfs |
| Sep 4 | 34 cfs | 34 cfs | 34 cfs | 38 cfs |
| Sep 5 | 41 cfs | 41 cfs | 41 cfs | 38 cfs |
| Sep 6 | 53 cfs | 53 cfs | 53 cfs | 38 cfs |
| Sep 7 | 43 cfs | 43 cfs | 43 cfs | 38 cfs |
| Sep 8 | 36 cfs | 36 cfs | 36 cfs | 38 cfs |
| Sep 9 | 33 cfs | 33 cfs | 33 cfs | 37 cfs |
| Sep 10 | 32 cfs | 32 cfs | 32 cfs | 37 cfs |
| Sep 11 | 32 cfs | 32 cfs | 32 cfs | 37 cfs |
| Sep 12 | 33 cfs | 33 cfs | 33 cfs | 36 cfs |
| Sep 13 | 34 cfs | 34 cfs | 34 cfs | 37 cfs |
| Sep 14 | 33 cfs | 33 cfs | 33 cfs | 37 cfs |
| Sep 15 | 30 cfs | 30 cfs | 30 cfs | 36 cfs |
| Sep 16 | 28 cfs | 28 cfs | 28 cfs | 36 cfs |
Other gauges on the South Branch Potomac River
Within 75 miles of this water, listed upstream to downstream.
- near Petersburg · 25.4 mi101 cfs
- near Springfield · 66.3 mi157 cfs
Source: USGS Water Data (provisional data, subject to revision; readings refresh every 30 minutes). cfs = cubic feet per second; gage height is the water level at the gauge, not depth. The reading is at the gauge, not necessarily at the stocked section. Normals: 69 years of USGS daily record (1950–2026), approved values. Flows well above normal for the date usually run high and off-color.
Stocking schedule (WVDNR 2026)
- WOne stocking each week, March through May
- FOne stocking each week for two weeks beginning the third Monday of October
Schedule codes from the 2026 West Virginia Fishing Regulations Summary. Actual stocking dates appear above as WVDNR reports them. Every stocked water by schedule code →
Fishing regulations
No special trout regulations are listed for South Branch (Franklin) in the 2026 summary; statewide trout rules apply.
Statewide trout limits: 6 per day, 12 in possession, no minimum size.
About South Branch (Franklin)
- Type
- Stream
- County
- Pendleton County, WV
- Nearest town
- Franklin
- Land designation
- Private/Other
Stocking dates are sourced from the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources daily stocking reports. Stocking-schedule codes, special regulations, and lake facilities are summarised from the 2026 West Virginia Fishing Regulations Summary and can change during the season; the West Virginia Code and current WVDNR regulations control — check wvdnr.gov/fishing-regulations before fishing. Location details are approximate.