I have a day to spend in or near State College. Conditions permitting, I'd like to spend my time at one or two spots/rivers tops. Any recommendations?

Also any other area recommendations? May need a place to pitch a tent, too. May stay at a hostel.

Shradder Creek for Brookies!!! Pine Creek works too.

You could always spend the night at the Feathered Hook on Penn's Creek. Spring Creek is more consistent through the year (it is a spring creek), but some of the other creeks within 45min may be better depending on the time of year. Check in with one of the local fly shops.

I haven't been there in years but Fishermans Paradise on Spring creek is one of my favourite places.It is between Bellefonte and State College off I believe #150.Another nice spot on Spring Creek is Benner Spring and the turnoff is beside the Nittany Mall.There is a white building ,I believe it is a church on the corner.You go down that road to the end and park outside the gates.Fishing Creek at Lamarr is also a good spot as others stated.

If you only have one day I would do spring Creek... There is so much water and so many fish you could easily spend a week fishing it all day every day and not get tired of it. One of the neatest things for this southerner was to be able to hop in the car, get on the highway for a couple miles and fish a completely different piece of water that is still on the same river.

You did not mention your expected timing. You should be aware that if you plan on fishing a weekend in the State College area, you need to coordinate with the Penn State Football home game schedule. The town is crazy full of people then, and all lodging within 50 miles or so is sold out a year in advance ... needless to say, getting into any restaurant is also a long line event ... as is just about everything else. FYI, after a tremendous good water summer, there has not been appreciable rain in the area since late August ... thus area waters are now VERY LOW with some hope of rain in the weekend forecast ...

On the other hand, Penn State Football is currently nationally ranked #4

Pecos

Update:

I wound up spending my afternoon on Spring Creek at the Fisherman's Paradise stretch (kind of). Once I parked and got geared up I walked upstream until the wading stretch started. It was a really interesting fishery and immediately evident how rich it was based on the amount of fish I spooked. The water was high and off color and a lot of the fish were holding in the shallow edges. Not many risers, I used streamers and nymphs and got into fish all day. The last fish was my best, probably just shy of 14"s and buttered up in fall colors, blue dot behind its eye the size of the moon. I forgot to mash the barb and took a little longer taking the hook out than I would have liked so I released him with no picture.

Anyhow, it was a great time. I used the new Scott G Series 885, it was perfect for that water.