North Branch Potomac River
Stocked stream · Mineral County · Westernport
Last stocked: no stocking on record.
North Branch Potomac River is a WV DNR trout-stocked stream in Mineral County, West Virginia, near Westernport. WVDNR's 2026 stocking schedule: one stocking each month, February through May; one stocking each week for two weeks beginning the third Monday of October.
Recent trout stockings
No stockings recorded for North Branch Potomac River yet. WV DNR typically stocks from January through May and again in October — check back, or become a member to get a text the moment it happens.
Showing the three most recent stockings. Free data is delayed 24 hours.
Stream conditions
Latest reading Sep 17, 1:25 AM EDT — our updates are running behind
North Branch Potomac River at Barnum (USGS 01595800) · 4.5 mi from this water
Gauge is at Barnum, about 5 miles from this section.
7-day range 256 cfs – 257 cfs (the shaded days)
median daily flow for the date (USGS normals)
Daily mean flow with each day’s low–high band (through Tue, Sep 15, 2026)
Normal for Sep 15 · near the median daily flow (220 cfs)
Show the daily values
| Day | Mean | Low | High | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19 | 254 cfs | 254 cfs | 254 cfs | 222 cfs |
| Aug 20 | 253 cfs | 253 cfs | 253 cfs | 223 cfs |
| Aug 21 | 253 cfs | 253 cfs | 253 cfs | 222 cfs |
| Aug 22 | 518 cfs | 518 cfs | 518 cfs | 222 cfs |
| Aug 23 | 511 cfs | 511 cfs | 511 cfs | 222 cfs |
| Aug 24 | 254 cfs | 254 cfs | 254 cfs | 222 cfs |
| Aug 25 | 252 cfs | 252 cfs | 252 cfs | 221 cfs |
| Aug 26 | 254 cfs | 254 cfs | 254 cfs | 221 cfs |
| Aug 27 | 270 cfs | 270 cfs | 270 cfs | 218 cfs |
| Aug 28 | 275 cfs | 275 cfs | 275 cfs | 218 cfs |
| Aug 29 | 275 cfs | 275 cfs | 275 cfs | 217 cfs |
| Aug 30 | 275 cfs | 275 cfs | 275 cfs | 216 cfs |
| Aug 31 | 275 cfs | 275 cfs | 275 cfs | 202 cfs |
| Sep 1 | 275 cfs | 275 cfs | 275 cfs | 202 cfs |
| Sep 3 | 278 cfs | 278 cfs | 278 cfs | 206 cfs |
| Sep 4 | 278 cfs | 278 cfs | 278 cfs | 216 cfs |
| Sep 6 | 280 cfs | 280 cfs | 280 cfs | 217 cfs |
| Sep 7 | 280 cfs | 280 cfs | 280 cfs | 219 cfs |
| Sep 8 | 280 cfs | 280 cfs | 280 cfs | 219 cfs |
| Sep 9 | 262 cfs | 262 cfs | 262 cfs | 218 cfs |
| Sep 10 | 258 cfs | 258 cfs | 258 cfs | 218 cfs |
| Sep 11 | 256 cfs | 256 cfs | 256 cfs | 218 cfs |
| Sep 12 | 256 cfs | 256 cfs | 256 cfs | 219 cfs |
| Sep 13 | 256 cfs | 256 cfs | 256 cfs | 219 cfs |
| Sep 14 | 257 cfs | 257 cfs | 257 cfs | 219 cfs |
| Sep 15 | 256 cfs | 256 cfs | 256 cfs | 220 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: 42 years of USGS daily record (1966–2026), approved values. Flows well above normal for the date usually run high and off-color.
Stocking schedule (WVDNR 2026)
- MOne stocking each month, February 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
Catch and release
North Branch of the Potomac River catch-and-release trout fishing areas. See the current Maryland Fishing Regulations for the special regulations on the North Branch of the Potomac and Potomac rivers.
Grant and Mineral counties
- Fishing permitted between 5:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. only on the North Branch of the Potomac catch-and-release areas
- Only artificial flies and lures made of metal, wood, feathers, hair, or synthetic material may be used or possessed
- No lure or fly with any scent, oil, or edible enticement may be used or possessed; Powerbait, Gulp and other manufactured scented baits are illegal on this section
- Barbless hooks are not required on the North Branch of the Potomac catch-and-release areas
- All trout caught must be returned to the water at once
- See the current Maryland Fishing Regulations for the full special regulations on the North Branch of the Potomac and Potomac rivers
Statewide trout limits: 6 per day, 12 in possession, no minimum size, unless a special regulation above says otherwise.
About North Branch Potomac River
- Type
- Stream
- County
- Mineral County, WV
- Nearest town
- Westernport
- 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.