The best water
Elk River
The Elk below Sutton Dam. Cold year-round, wild and holdover browns, a catch-and-release section, and smallmouth once it warms downstream.
Full guide to Elk River →Fishing
Trout in the cold mountain water, smallmouth in the warm rivers, largemouth and muskie in the reservoirs, and walleye and catfish on the big rivers. WVDNR administers licensing, regulations and one of the most extensive trout stocking programs in the East.
The Elk River is the best fishery in West Virginia and one of the least-known good ones in the East. Start there and work outward.
Cold tailwater trout, warm-river smallmouth, reservoir muskie and big-river walleye — four distinct fisheries in a small state.
Our recommendations
Where we'd send you
For numbers
Summersville Lake
Summersville Lake and the Corps reservoirs. Bass, walleye, crappie and some serious muskie water, with camping right there.
Full guide to Summersville Lake →The overlooked one
Kanawha Falls
Kanawha Falls at Glen Ferris, where the New and Gauley become the Kanawha. Roadside access, hybrid stripers, walleye and catfish.
Full guide to Kanawha Falls →Practical note
A trout stamp is required in addition to a license on stocked waters, and the WVDNR stocking list updates continuously through the season. Checking it the night before is the single highest-value thing you can do.
What to know before you go
- WVDNR posts each day's stockings by the end of that business day, and does not release the schedule in advance
- A trout stamp is required in addition to a fishing license for stocked trout waters
- The Elk, Cranberry, Williams and Cherry are the marquee trout rivers
Regions that do it best
Reservoirs, trout water, developing rail-trail
Mountain Lakes
The geographic center of the state and its least-visited region.
Highest terrain, ski areas, wilderness backpackingPotomac Highlands
All terrain in West Virginia above 4,000 feet lies in this region, including Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet.
Rail-trails, limestone caves, gentle river paddlingGreenbrier Valley
The Greenbrier Valley sits on Greenbrier limestone, producing karst topography: sinkholes, springs, sinking streams and extensive cave systems, several with more than forty miles of surveyed passage.
Ohio River islands and the North Bend Rail TrailMid-Ohio Valley
The Ohio River corridor and the counties inland from it.
Every place we cover for fishing
River · New River Gorge
Sandstone Falls
The largest waterfall on the New River — not tall, but 1,500 feet wide, spilling across the full breadth of the river between islands at the point where the gorge begins to open.
1,500 ft falls width10–25 ft drop
River · New River Gorge
Gauley River
The most celebrated whitewater in the eastern United States.
Class V upper gauley100+ rapids
River · New River Gorge
Lower New River
The commercial rafting heart of West Virginia: Class III–IV big-volume water through the deepest part of the gorge, with named rapids including Surprise, Upper and Lower Railroad, Double Z, Greyhound and Fayette Station under the bridge.
Class III–IV summerBig volume character
Lake · New River Gorge
Summersville Lake
West Virginia's largest lake and by a wide margin its clearest — 2,700 acres of blue-green water in a sandstone basin, popular for scuba diving, paddleboarding and boating.
2,700 ac surface327 ft max depth
River · New River Gorge
Meadow River
The Meadow is two things at once: an exceptional and demanding whitewater run, and one of the most significant new climbing developments in the eastern United States over the past decade, with hundreds of routes established on clean sandstone in a deep, quiet gorge.
Class IV–V whitewaterHundreds new routes
State Park · New River Gorge
Babcock State Park
Home of the Glade Creek Grist Mill, the most photographed building in West Virginia — a working reconstruction assembled from parts of three historic mills, sitting on a boulder-strewn creek.
4,127 ac park1976 mill rebuilt
State Park · New River Gorge
Pipestem Resort State Park
A full resort park perched above the Bluestone Canyon, with an aerial tram descending 1,100 feet to a lodge on the river — the only state park tram in West Virginia.
4,050 ac park1,100 ft tram descent
State Park · New River Gorge
Hawks Nest State Park
A rim-top lodge above the Mill Creek arm of the New River Gorge with an aerial tram to a marina on the water.
276 ac parkTram to the river
State Park · Southern Coalfields
Twin Falls Resort State Park
A quiet resort park in Wyoming County with a lodge, golf course and two waterfalls on Black Fork and Marsh Fork.
3,776 ac park2 waterfalls
National Park · New River Gorge
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
Designated a national park and preserve in 2020, protecting roughly 53 miles of the New River where it has cut about 1,000 feet through Nuttall sandstone.
53 mi protected river1,600+ climbing routes
National Park · New River Gorge
Bluestone National Scenic River
Ten miles of protected river in a deep, wooded gorge between Bluestone Lake and Pipestem — the least-visited National Park Service unit in West Virginia and the quietest.
Local knowledge
10 mi protected riverLow visitation
Trail · Greenbrier Valley
Greenbrier River Trail
Seventy-eight miles from Cass to Caldwell on a former Chesapeake & Ohio logging grade, crossing 35 bridges by the state park's count and passing through 2 tunnels, following the Greenbrier River the entire way.
78 mi length35 bridges
State Park · Greenbrier Valley
Watoga State Park
West Virginia's largest state park at over 10,100 acres, built largely by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
10,100 ac largest state park1930s ccc-built
State Forest · Greenbrier Valley
Seneca State Forest
West Virginia's oldest state forest, 11,684 acres along the Greenbrier River with rustic CCC cabins that have no electricity, a fire tower rentable as lodging, and a quiet trail network.
11,684 ac forest1924 established
State Park · Greenbrier Valley
Moncove Lake State Park
A small park in Monroe County built around a 144-acre lake with warm-water fishing for largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish, plus a swimming pool.
Local knowledge
144 ac lakeWarm water fishery
River · Potomac Highlands
Smoke Hole Canyon
A steep, narrow limestone canyon where the South Branch of the Potomac cuts through Cave Mountain — excellent smallmouth fishing, quiet canoe water at the right levels, dispersed camping, caves in the walls and a nineteenth-century chapel at the upper end.
Limestone canyonSmallmouth fishery
River · Potomac Highlands
The Trough
A six-mile gorge on the South Branch of the Potomac between Romney and Moorefield with no road access — reachable only by boat or by the Potomac Eagle excursion train that runs alongside it.
6 mi no road accessBald eagles reliable
River · Mountaineer Country
Cheat Canyon
One of the classic big-water runs of the East: roughly 11 miles of Class IV–V through a remote gorge below Albright, with named rapids including Big Nasty, Coliseum and Pete Morgan.
11 mi canyon runClass IV–V at high water
Trail · Mountaineer Country
Big Bear Lake Trail Center
A long-established private trail center in Preston County with dozens of miles of cross-country singletrack and doubletrack around a lake, plus camping.
Local knowledge
50+ mi trailsLake on site
State Park · Mountaineer Country
Valley Falls State Park
A series of ledge drops on the Tygart Valley River near Fairmont, popular with photographers, picnickers and — at the right levels — playboaters.
1,145 ac parkLedges river drops
State Park · Mountaineer Country
Audra State Park
A compact park on the Middle Fork River built around a boulder-strewn swimming area and the Alum Cave boardwalk, which runs beneath an overhanging rock shelter above the river.
355 ac parkAlum Cave rock shelter
State Park · Mountaineer Country
Tygart Lake State Park
A 1,750-acre reservoir behind a 1930s Corps of Engineers dam near Grafton, with a lodge, marina, scuba diving and steep wooded shoreline.
1,750 ac lake1938 dam completed
Lake · Mountaineer Country
Cheat Lake
A long, narrow 1,730-acre impoundment of the Cheat River just east of Morgantown, with a shoreline rail-trail, boat access and the closest flatwater paddling and lakeside recreation to the city.
1,730 ac lake13 mi length
River · Mountain Lakes
Elk River
One of the finest and least-known trout fisheries in the Appalachians.
Tailwater cold year-roundWild browns fishery
Trail · Mountain Lakes
Elk River Rail Trail
A developing rail-trail on the former Buffalo Creek & Gauley and Elk River Railroad grades, opening a long, remote corridor along the Elk between Gassaway and Clendenin.
73 mi planned corridorDeveloping status
State Park · Mountain Lakes
Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park
A 2,650-acre lake with the most developed resort facilities of any West Virginia lake park — a lodge, marina, Arnold Palmer golf course and the state's largest open-water fetch for small-boat sailing.
2,650 ac lake82 mi shoreline
Lake · Mountain Lakes
Sutton Lake
A 1,440-acre Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Elk River in Braxton County, with several campgrounds, quiet coves and the dam that creates the Elk tailwater fishery below.
1,440 ac lakeCorps managed
Lake · Mountain Lakes
Burnsville Lake
A 968-acre Corps reservoir on the Little Kanawha with the Bulltown Historic Area on its shore — Civil War earthworks, a preserved farmstead and a well-regarded campground.
968 ac lakeBulltown historic area
State Park · Mountain Lakes
Cedar Creek State Park
A 2,483-acre park in Gilmer County with three small fishing lakes, a campground and a network of easy trails.
2,483 ac park3 fishing lakes
State Park · Eastern Panhandle
Cacapon Resort State Park
6,000 acres on Cacapon Mountain near Berkeley Springs, with a lodge, a Robert Trent Jones golf course, a lake beach and a trail system climbing to the 2,300-foot ridge.
6,000 ac park2,300 ft cacapon mountain
River · Eastern Panhandle
Cacapon River
One of the finest gentle canoe rivers in the East — clear, shallow, warm and slow, winding through farmland and forest with reliable smallmouth fishing and easy multi-day trips.
Class I–II difficultySmallmouth fishery
Wildlife Area · Eastern Panhandle
Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area
Nearly 23,000 acres on Sleepy Creek Mountain — the largest WMA in the Eastern Panhandle, with a 205-acre lake, primitive camping, hunting, and a long ridge trail system.
22,928 ac wma205 ac sleepy creek lake
River · Eastern Panhandle
Shenandoah & Potomac Rivers
The Shenandoah's Staircase rapids above Harpers Ferry give Class I–III whitewater in a resort-town setting, while the Potomac below the confluence spreads wide and slow for tubing and flatwater.
Class I–III staircaseWarm summer water
National Forest · Eastern Panhandle
Trout Pond Recreation Area
Home to the only natural lake in West Virginia — a small sinkhole pond in the George Washington National Forest section of Hardy County, alongside the larger man-made Rockcliff Lake, a campground and trails into the Lost River State Forest country.
Local knowledge
Only natural lake in wvSinkhole origin
State Park · Mid-Ohio Valley
North Bend State Park
A 1,405-acre park on a horseshoe bend of the North Fork of the Hughes River, with a lodge, cabins, campgrounds, a 305-acre lake nearby and direct access to the North Bend Rail Trail.
1,405 ac park305 ac north bend lake
Refuge · Mid-Ohio Valley
Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Twenty-two islands and several mainland tracts scattered along nearly 400 river miles of the Ohio, protecting some of the last relatively undisturbed island habitat on the river — critical for freshwater mussels, migratory birds and river-bottom forest.
22 islands~400 mi river span
Trail · Mid-Ohio Valley
Mountwood Park
A county park outside Parkersburg with a 50-acre lake and one of the better mountain bike trail networks in the western half of the state, plus camping, disc golf and the site of the old Volcano oil town.
2,600 ac park50 ac lake
River · Mid-Ohio Valley
Hughes River
Three forks — North, South and Middle — draining a landscape of narrow ridges and small farms in Ritchie and Wirt counties, giving quiet Class I canoe water and good smallmouth fishing with almost no other boats.
3 forksClass I difficulty
River · Metro Valley
Coal River Water Trail
An organized water trail on the Big Coal, Little Coal and main-stem Coal rivers south of Charleston, with maintained access points, mapped mileages and signage — the product of sustained work by the Coal River Group to turn a working-class industrial river back into a recreation asset.
88 mi water trailClass I difficulty
State Park · Metro Valley
Beech Fork State Park
A 3,981-acre park around a 720-acre Corps reservoir near Huntington, with one of the largest campgrounds in the state park system, good bass fishing and easy trails.
3,981 ac park720 ac lake
Lake · Metro Valley
East Lynn Lake
A 1,005-acre Corps reservoir in Wayne County with a strong bass and crappie fishery, a large wildlife management area around it and very little traffic.
1,005 ac lake23,000+ ac surrounding wma
River · Metro Valley
Kanawha Falls
A wide ledge falls at Glen Ferris where the Gauley and New join to form the Kanawha — a well-known bank fishing spot for hybrid striped bass, walleye and catfish, with roadside access and a historic inn across the highway.
Confluence new + gauleyRoadside access
State Park · Mountaineer Country
Tomlinson Run State Park
The northernmost park in the system, in Hancock County at the tip of the Northern Panhandle.
1,398 ac park29 ac lake
State Park · New River Gorge
Bluestone State Park
On the shore of Bluestone Lake, the third-largest body of water in West Virginia, at the point where the Bluestone River meets the New.
2,155 ac park2,040 ac bluestone lake
State Park · New River Gorge
Camp Creek State Park & Forest
An unusual pairing of a small developed park inside a much larger state forest in Mercer County, with two waterfalls on Camp Creek, mountain bike and equestrian trails, and camping.
Local knowledge
550 ac park5,300 ac forest
State Park · New River Gorge
Pinnacle Rock State Park
A small day-use park in Mercer County built around a jagged sandstone fin standing above the highway, with a stairway to the top and a view over the southern coalfields.
400 ac park3,100 ft rock elevation
State Forest · Southern Coalfields
Panther State Forest
Deep in McDowell County, one of the most remote units in the system, with a small campground, a swimming pool and trails through steep hardwood in the heart of the southern coalfields.
7,810 ac forestMcDowell Co. location
State Park · New River Gorge
Little Beaver State Park
A park just off I-64 near Beckley with an 18-acre lake, a seasonal campground, an extensive trail network used for running and mountain biking, and easy access from the interstate.
562 ac park18 ac lake
State Park · Mountaineer Country
Prickett's Fort State Park
A reconstructed 1774 frontier refuge fort at the confluence of Prickett's Creek and the Monongahela River, with living-history interpretation, a boat launch and a trailhead on the Mon River Rail-Trail system.
188 ac park1774 fort date
State Forest · Metro Valley
Cabwaylingo State Forest
A large, quiet forest in Wayne County named for the four counties it borders, with CCC-built cabins, a campground and a fire tower.
Local knowledge
8,123 ac forest1930s ccc-built
Wildlife Area · Southern Coalfields
Laurel Lake Wildlife Management Area
A quiet 12,854-acre WMA in Mingo County built around a 29-acre lake, with primitive camping, warm-water fishing and public hunting in the southern coalfields.
Local knowledge
12,854 ac wma29 ac lake
Golf Course · New River Gorge
Pipestem Resort Golf
An 18-hole course plus a par-3 layout at Pipestem Resort State Park above the Bluestone Canyon, with lodge accommodation on site and a par-3 course that suits beginners and short visits.
18 + par 3 two coursesState park rates
Lake · Greenbrier Valley
Lake Sherwood
The largest lake on the Monongahela National Forest, 156 acres at around 2,600 feet against the Virginia line, with two sand beaches — one on the mainland and one on an island reached by a footbridge.
156 ac lake2 beaches sand
Lake · Greenbrier Valley
Summit Lake
A 43-acre cold-water lake ten miles from Richwood in the Monongahela National Forest, with a 33-unit campground on the shore and the Cranberry backcountry immediately behind it.
Local knowledge
43 ac lake33 campsites
Trail · New River Gorge
Bluestone Turnpike Trail
Eight and a half miles along the Bluestone River between Pipestem Resort State Park and Bluestone State Park, following the line of an old turnpike through the gorge.
Local knowledge
8.5 mi lengthTwo parks end to end
Trips built around it
3 days · Apr–Oct
Greenbrier River Trail End to End
Seventy-eight miles, thirty-five bridges, two tunnels and a gradient under one percent.
2–3 days · Apr–Jun, Sep–OctElk River Fly Fishing Weekend
Cold tailwater below Sutton Dam holding wild browns, a sulphur hatch worth planning around, and smallmouth downstream when the trout water gets busy.
AdvertiseThis space is available
Guides and rentals for fishing
Reserved for a West Virginia operator serving this activity. The listings above and below it are unpaid.
List your business hereQuestions people ask
Do you need a fishing license in West Virginia?
Yes, for anyone 15 and older, issued by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Trout fishing requires an additional trout stamp. Residents fishing on their own land are exempt.
What is the best trout fishing in West Virginia?
The Elk River catch-and-release section, the Cranberry River, the Williams River and Seneca Creek are the most consistently recommended wild and stocked trout waters.
Organizations, agencies and resources · 24
Groups that handle access, maintenance, licensing and conditions data for this activity. Starred entries publish updates worth following.
West Virginia Tourism / Almost Heaven
Statewide outdoor recreation, destinations, trails, parks, rivers and trip planning.
Visit West Virginia State Parks
Statewide
State parks, forests, rail trails, hiking, biking, paddling, camping, fishing, boating and lodging across 35+ properties.
Visit WV Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR)
Statewide
Fishing, hunting, wildlife, boating, wildlife management areas, public lands and recreation. The licensing and regulatory authority for hunting, fishing and boating statewide.
Visit
Friends of the Cacapon River
Rivers
River access, kayaking, fishing, cleanups, recreation and watershed protection on one of the East's finest gentle rivers.
Greenbrier River Watershed Association
Rivers
One of West Virginia's oldest watershed associations and especially important for Greenbrier, Monroe, Pocahontas and Summers county research.
Friends of the Hughes River
Rivers
Ritchie County watershed organization covering the North, South and Middle Forks of the Hughes River.
WVDNR Fishing
Fishing
Licensing, regulations, stocked waters, species information and public fishing access statewide.
Visit WVDNR Fish Stocking
Fishing
Continuously updated stocking list — one of the highest-traffic seasonal pages in West Virginia outdoor recreation.
Visit Trout Unlimited
Fishing
National coldwater conservation organization with active West Virginia chapters and restoration projects.
Visit West Virginia B.A.S.S. Nation
Fishing
Statewide competitive bass fishing organization, tournaments and youth angling programs.
WV B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series
Fishing
Kayak-fishing events, standings and resources — the competitive arm of a fast-growing discipline.
Fishbrain
Fishing
Community fishing maps, catch logs and reports with West Virginia coverage.
Visit WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas
Hunting
More than 80 public WMAs with boundaries, permitted uses, facilities and area-specific regulations.
Visit Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
Hunting
Public land access advocacy with a West Virginia chapter.
Visit West Virginia State Parks — Accessibility
Accessible
Accessible cabins, fishing piers, boardwalks and trail information across the park system.
Visit Gauley River National Recreation Area
Federal lands
25 miles of the Gauley and 6 miles of the Meadow — the whitewater that defines autumn in West Virginia.
Visit Bluestone National Scenic River
Federal lands
Ten miles of quiet, wooded, under-visited river gorge below Pipestem.
Visit Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Federal lands
Protected island chain along the Ohio main stem — paddling, birding and mussel habitat.
Visit USACE — Summersville Lake
Federal lands
The clearest lake in West Virginia and the source of Gauley Season releases — SUP, diving, cliff climbing and camping.
Visit USACE — Sutton Lake
Federal lands
Central West Virginia reservoir with campgrounds, bass fishing and flatwater paddling.
Visit USACE — Burnsville Lake
Federal lands
Quiet Braxton County reservoir with camping, boating and muskie fishing.
Visit Elk River Trail
Trail systems
Growing rail-trail and water trail corridor along one of West Virginia's best trout and smallmouth rivers.
Visit Mercer County
Tourism
Bluefield, Princeton and southern gateway access to the Bluestone and New rivers.
Visit Visit Greater Parkersburg
Tourism
Ohio River recreation, Blennerhassett Island, North Bend Rail Trail and Mountwood Park.
Visit Related activities
Every organization we link to: local tourism offices, the state and federal agencies that manage the land, the nonprofits and clubs that keep access open, and the universities doing the research.
West Virginia has roughly 1.5 million acres of public land and a handful of places that carry almost all of the attention. The consequence is that a great deal of very good ground sits nearly empty, usually for one of three reasons: nobody has heard of it, the road in is gated or rough, or it is undeveloped and has nothing to advertise. Those are the places below — of them across regions.