West Virginia

Fishing in West Virginia

Planning for fishing in West Virginia? The state of West Virginia though has got limited number of water bodies, present a number of opportunities of fishing for the fishing enthusiasts. Slow-paced wide rivers are characteristic of the western and central valleys of West Virginia, so also of its eastern panhandle. There are lakes all over the state and mountain streams along the highest mountain slopes, are more in the eastern and southern sections.

New River Gorge National River

New River Gorge National River

Located in the Appalachian Mountains of southern West Virginia, the national park along the New River offers you waters like Plum Orchard, Paint Creek, Dunloup Creek, and Glade Creek for smallmouth bass, native trout, and citation bluegill.

Other Best Places to Fish

Go fishing to Beech Fork, Bluestone, Burnsville, and Stonewall Jackson Lake which are best for channel catfishes and largemouth bass, while East Lynn and R.D.Bailey lakes are best for hybrid striped bass, largemouth bass, and crappie. Visit Stonecoal, and Tygart lakes too which are best for channel catfish and walleye, while Lakes Sutton and Summerville are best for crappie. Ohio and Potomac Rivers are the home of most of the fishes. You can also go fishing to other fish-rich rivers like Cheat, Buckhannon, Elk (downstream of Sutton), Gauley, Hughes, Kanawha, Monongahela, Mud, West Fork, Shenandoah, and Williams, in which musky, white bass and walleye are abundant.

So you have ample opportunities for fishing in West Virginia.

Best Baits and Tackle

Use minnows, night crawlers, chicken livers and natural baits for channel catfish, and largemouth bass, and jigs, minnow-imitating lures and silver spoons for crappie and hybrid bass. Live creek chubs, suckers or large minnows are excellent baits for musky, whereas live minnows, night crawlers, jigs, minnow-imitating crankbaits and spinners are excellent for walleye. Jigs, crankbaits, spinners, streamers and live minnows are excellent for white bass.

For smallmouth bass, use spinning tackle of medium-light and ultra-light weight with spinners as well as other artificial lures identical to minnows, night crawlers, crayfish, crankbaits, jigs, hellgrammites, and various soft plastic and topwater baits give excellent results.

For musky, use bait casting reels using lures imitating minnows; large spinner to get best catch. Live creek chubs, suckers or large minnows are excellent bai

Trophy Citation Program

West Virginia Division of Natural Resources also has a trophy fish citation program for which you can apply with a 5$ fee within 60 days of the catch; the catch should be legally done using rod and reel by a licensed angler meeting the length and weight requirements measured in presence of a witness.

The West Virginia Husky Musky Club

If you catch a legal-sized muskellunge on rod and reel from West Virginia and apply for the club’s membership within 30 days of the catch, you automatically become the member of the club and are presented a membership certificate at the annual awards banquet.

Obtaining Fishing License

West Virginia fishing licenses can be obtained at around 350 retail agencies throughout the state and at all county clerk offices at $3 issuing fee for the 1^st purchase and $1 fee for purchases thereafter. License can be obtained online too at www.wvfish.com at $2 issuing fee. Or you can directly obtain it by calling the Hunting and Fishing License Unit at $2 issuing fee.

So what are you waiting for now? Plan a tour fast and go for fishing in West Virginia!