West Virginia offers outstanding mountain fishing in the Appalachian highlands. The state has over 20,000 miles of streams including famous trout waters like the Elk River, Greenbrier River, and Cranberry River. The New River and Gauley River provide excellent smallmouth bass and muskie fishing, and large impoundments like Summersville Lake and Stonewall Jackson Lake offer walleye, bass, and crappie.
Fishing Regulations
- Catch-and-release black bass waters: New River (I-64 Sandstone to Grandview), South Branch Potomac (2 sections); Dunkard Fork, Edwards Run, Kimsey Run, Millers Fork, Rockhouse, Tuckahoe, Upper Mud lakes.
- Stonewall Jackson Lake: 1 black bass 18 in or longer per day (tournaments excluded).
- New River: black bass 14-22 in must be released; creel 6.
- Barboursville, Beech Fork, Chief Logan, Conaway Run lakes + Wheeling Creek + Ohio River: bass under 12 in released.
- Jennings Randolph Lake: follows Maryland regulations.
10 species limits are shown per spot in the CatchTales app.
Pick a region below to explore its fishing spots.
Greenbrier & South Central
Greenbrier River, Elk River, Summersville Lake, Burnsville Lake
40 spots
Monongahela & North Central
Monongahela River, Cheat Lake, Tygart Lake, Baker Lake
40 spots
New River & Southeast
New River, Gauley River, Bluestone Lake, Ada Lake
41 spots
Ohio River & Western
Ohio River, Beech Fork Lake, East Lynn Lake, Blue Goose Pond
40 spots
Potomac & Eastern Panhandle
Potomac River, Cacapon River, Sleepy Creek, Alpine Lake
40 spots
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