South Branch (Smoke Hole)
Stocked stream · Pendleton County · Upper Tract
Last stocked: 4 months ago (Thu, May 28, 2026)
South Branch (Smoke Hole) is a WV DNR trout-stocked stream in Pendleton County, West Virginia, near Upper Tract. 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
- Thu, May 28, 20264 months ago
- Wed, May 20, 20264 months ago
- Thu, May 14, 20264 months ago
Showing the three most recent stockings. Free data is delayed 24 hours.
Stream conditions
USGS gauge · Sep 17, 6:00 PM EDT
South Branch Potomac River near Petersburg (USGS 01606500) · 10.8 mi from this water
Gauge is near Petersburg, about 11 miles downstream of Smoke Hole.
- Flow
- 101 cfs
- Steady vs. 24 h ago
- Normal for Sep 17 · near the median daily flow (104 cfs)
- Gage height
- 3.75 ft
- Water temperature
- 79°F
- near Springfield · 52.8 mi downstream
7-day range 108 cfs – 147 cfs (the shaded days)
median daily flow for the date (USGS normals)
today so far (101 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 | 427 cfs | 427 cfs | 427 cfs | 134 cfs |
| Aug 20 | 322 cfs | 322 cfs | 322 cfs | 135 cfs |
| Aug 21 | 264 cfs | 264 cfs | 264 cfs | 136 cfs |
| Aug 22 | 228 cfs | 228 cfs | 228 cfs | 134 cfs |
| Aug 23 | 275 cfs | 275 cfs | 275 cfs | 133 cfs |
| Aug 24 | 273 cfs | 273 cfs | 273 cfs | 130 cfs |
| Aug 25 | 207 cfs | 207 cfs | 207 cfs | 127 cfs |
| Aug 26 | 178 cfs | 178 cfs | 178 cfs | 124 cfs |
| Aug 27 | 161 cfs | 161 cfs | 161 cfs | 121 cfs |
| Aug 29 | 203 cfs | 203 cfs | 203 cfs | 118 cfs |
| Aug 30 | 176 cfs | 176 cfs | 176 cfs | 116 cfs |
| Aug 31 | 155 cfs | 155 cfs | 155 cfs | 116 cfs |
| Sep 1 | 145 cfs | 145 cfs | 145 cfs | 115 cfs |
| Sep 2 | 136 cfs | 136 cfs | 136 cfs | 115 cfs |
| Sep 3 | 130 cfs | 130 cfs | 130 cfs | 116 cfs |
| Sep 4 | 129 cfs | 129 cfs | 129 cfs | 118 cfs |
| Sep 5 | 143 cfs | 143 cfs | 143 cfs | 117 cfs |
| Sep 6 | 176 cfs | 176 cfs | 176 cfs | 116 cfs |
| Sep 7 | 188 cfs | 188 cfs | 188 cfs | 114 cfs |
| Sep 8 | 157 cfs | 157 cfs | 157 cfs | 112 cfs |
| Sep 9 | 140 cfs | 140 cfs | 140 cfs | 111 cfs |
| Sep 10 | 131 cfs | 131 cfs | 131 cfs | 110 cfs |
| Sep 11 | 147 cfs | 147 cfs | 147 cfs | 109 cfs |
| Sep 12 | 129 cfs | 129 cfs | 129 cfs | 108 cfs |
| Sep 13 | 128 cfs | 128 cfs | 128 cfs | 107 cfs |
| Sep 14 | 124 cfs | 124 cfs | 124 cfs | 106 cfs |
| Sep 15 | 117 cfs | 117 cfs | 117 cfs | 105 cfs |
| Sep 16 | 108 cfs | 108 cfs | 108 cfs | 105 cfs |
Other gauges on the South Branch Potomac River
Within 75 miles of this water, listed upstream to downstream.
- at Franklin · 15.6 mi26 cfs
- near Springfield · 52.8 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: 76 years of USGS daily record (1950–2025), 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 (Smoke Hole) in the 2026 summary; statewide trout rules apply.
Statewide trout limits: 6 per day, 12 in possession, no minimum size.
About South Branch (Smoke Hole)
- Type
- Stream
- County
- Pendleton County, WV
- Nearest town
- Upper Tract
- 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.