Fishing Report – 07.05.12
BEECH FORK
The reservoir water level is at summer pool. Anglers should call the Beech Fork Corps of Engineers office at 304.525.4831 for more information. Bass fishing should be hot right now with many hungry bass coming out of the yearly spawning period. Channel catfish may be slower right now as these fish may be guarding nests. Hybrid striped bass and white bass can be caught using white lures.
BLUESTONE
Fishing on the lake is good. Target post.spawn bass now in Bluestone and other District 4 impoundments and reservoirs. Anglers should pay attention to schools of shad or minnows and weather fronts. Striped bass are also being boated by following schools of shad in the lake. Channel catfish can be caught using nightcrawlers and prepared baits. Chicken livers are also good. Flatheads prefer live bait such as large chubs or a live sunfish. Try cut or live shad drifted over points and other lake features, or your favorite shad imitating lures. For more information call Corps of Engineers at 304.466.0156.
BURNSVILLE
The lake is one foot below summer pool. Lots of bass are being caught in and around cover. Crappie and bluegill are also being caught on live bait in any type of cover. For more information call Corps of Engineers at 304.853.2398.
EAST LYNN
The reservoir water level is at summer pool. For more information call the Corps of Engineers recorded message at 304.849.9861. Bass will be holding near logs, stumps and fish attracting brush piles. Musky will be found near bush piles and fallen trees. Channel catfish and flatheads may be guarding nests so fishing may be a little slower. Try crappie fishing around standing timber or trees that have fallen into the water. A few walleye have been caught in the lake and tailwater.
R.D. BAILEY
Fishing on the lake is good. Some of the largest spotted bass in WV are found in R. D. Bailey Lake. Spotted bass can be found along drop-offs and points extending into the lake at this time of the year. Good baits are plastic jigs, live shad, or crayfish. Hybrid striped bass are also available for anglers at R.D. Bailey right now. Best baits are lures such as rattletraps, spoons, or white/chartreuse jigs. Anglers may also want to try chicken livers for this hard fighting fish. For more information call the Corps of Engineers recorded message at 304.664.9587.
STEPHENS LAKE
Stephens is very clear. To improve the odds of catching fish, use light line, cast far, and reduce noise, fish quietly and carefully. Bass anglers are successful using soft plastics and small crankbaits. Catfish have been recently caught using chicken livers, worms and prepared dip baits. Bass are being caught using wacky rigged worms in various colors at various depths.
STONECOAL LAKE
The lake is at summer pool. Fishing is good. Bass are being caught in and around cover. Bluegill and crappie are also hitting live bait and jigs around beaver huts and fish attractors. Trout fishing has been great. Try trolling a shallow running plug or jig. A few perch have been caught in the upper end on minnows.
STONEWALL JACKSON
The lake is two feet below summer pool and clear. Fishing is good. Bass are being caught in and around cover. Bluegill and crappie are also hitting live bait. Reports of large musky being caught with spinner baits. Channel catfish have also been caught. Before heading to the lake please call Corps of Engineers at 304.269.7463.
SUMMERSVILLE
The lake is at summer pool. Bass are being caught in about 5 to 10 feet of water. It is a great time of year for walleye. Try rocky points, drop offs and at the mouth of small tributaries entering the lake. Trout were stocked in the tailwaters on June 5th from the dam to the mouth of the Meadow River 5 miles). If you are looking for a back country fishing experience, hike down in the Gauley River gorge and enjoy some fantastic fishing. For more information contact the Corps of Engineers office at 304.872.3412.
SUTTON
The lake is at summer pool and clear. Fishing is good. Bass have moved deeper because of warm water temperatures. Most are being caught in and around cover. Bluegill and crappie are also hitting live bait. The tailwaters are low and clear. A few reports of walleye being caught in the tailwater over the past few weeks. Before heading to the lake please call Corps of Engineers at 304.765.2705.
TYGART LAKE
The lake is now 14 feet below the summer pool level and falling slowly. Water temperature is 82 degrees from the surface to 10 feet, 77 at 25 feet, 67 at 50 feet, 63 at 75 feet and 60 degrees at 100 feet. Walleye prefer a temperature around 70 degrees. White bass schools can be seen breaking water throughout the lake. Cast crank baits, plastic grubs, or spoons to the schools as they surface and move around. Bass tournament success continues to be good.
There are lots of walleye and trout in the tailwater. Flows are low. Walleye fishing is best during higher flows 1,500 to 5,000 cubic feet per second and trout fishing is best at low flows less than 1,000 cubic feet per second). Walleye can be caught using 1/8 to ¼-ounce jigs with 3-inch plastic grubs. Chartreuse is a good color. Call the Corps of Engineers telephone hotline at 304.265.5953 for daily lake and tailwater conditions.
NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA
OHIO RIVER (New Cumberland, Pike Island and Hannibal pools and tailwaters)
Bass fishing success has been good throughout the river. There are lots of hybrid striped bass, sauger, walleye and white bass in the tailwaters and the river is in great fishing condition. Walleye and sauger will start feeding about an hour before sunset and then throughout the night. Jigs with minnows are particularly good baits but 3.inch plastic grubs and deep running crank baits are also productive. Hybrid striped bass will also move in and out of the tailwaters and can be caught using large crank baits, casting spoons, or cut bait.
MONONGAHELA RIVER
The river is at a low level and in good fishing condition. Bass tournament success has been very good the past month for largemouth around weed beds. Fishing is also good in the Morgantown tailwater for sauger, walleye and white bass. The shoreline from the Morgantown lock to the mouth of Deckers Creek is always a good place to fish from the shore. Smallmouth bass are also abundant in this area. This is also good time for catfish throughout the pools in 15 to 20 feet of water.
CHEAT LAKE
The shoreline across from the Sunset Beach cove to the I-68 bridge is a good area to catch large sunfish. Channel catfish are doing well and 2 to 3-pounders are abundant throughout the lake. Nightcrawlers on a number six hook with a ½ to 1-ounce egg sinker cast into 25 to 35 feet of water will catch catfish. Bass tournaments continue to be successful.
EASTERN PANHANDLE
South Branch and Cacapon Rivers
Flows in most streams and rivers throughout the eastern panhandle are below normal flow and the water temperatures are in the 80’s. Some areas of the South Branch and Cacapon Rivers are becoming difficult to float due to the low water. Anglers on the South Branch continue to be successful catching 20 to 40 fish or more per day and numerous citation sized smallmouth bass. Try using slow moving plastics in deep pools and top water lures in shallow areas and just off the shore. Many smallmouth bass in the South Branch have been tagged as part of a fish movement and fish health study, so if you catch a tagged fish, please clip off the tag and return it to DNR for a reward. Recent biological surveys also indicate excellent channel catfish populations throughout the South Branch.
Shenandoah River
Flows in the Shenandoah River are below normal but in great fishing condition. Try fishing for smallmouth bass with crankbaits and top waters near the head of pools around large rocks or other structure. The WVDNR in cooperation with Jefferson County Parks and Recreation have extended the boat ramp at the Moulton Park public access and it is now usable.
North Branch River
Flows in the North Branch are near 200 cfs and expected to remain at that level over the next several days. No additional white water events are scheduled for the North Branch this year.
Small Impoundments
Small impoundments are in great fishing condition. Recent biological surveys have indicated excellent largemouth bass population. Most small impoundments will be stratified which means low oxygen levels could occur in deep water so fish shallow. A new impoundment has been created at the Edwards Run Wildlife Management Area in Hampshire County and has been stocked with sunfish, smallmouth and channel catfish.
Jennings Randolph Lake
Jennings Randolph Lake is currently ten feet below conservation pool. Anglers have reported good catches of smallmouth bass on crankbaits and top waters. The WV and MD boat ramps are open so don’t forget you can buy a season boat launch pass. The pass is honored at both the MD and WV ramps. Jennings Randolph Lake has a dedicated phone line for up-to-date recreational information 304.355.2890.
Mt. Storm Lake
Anglers at Mount Storm Lake should target striped bass, black bass and walleye. Fish can be caught throughout the lake but many anglers do well fishing with chicken livers near the discharges. Biological surveys have indicated excellent bass and walleye populations.
CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA
Water levels are low to normal and clear. If you are looking for a place to go, please check the fishing regulations and the WVDNR website for a list of public access sites or call your local WVDNR district office for some advice on a place to fish. Summer is a great time of year to introduce a young person to fishing. Take a kid fishing this weekend; go see what you have been missing. Lots of trout still remain in local rivers and streams from the spring stockings.
SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA
The New and Greenbrier rivers provide excellent fishing opportunities for smallmouth bass. Flows are low and clear, allowing for some wade fishing in the New and Greenbrier rivers. Be safe if wading and wear a PFD. Smallmouth anglers are finding success using a variety of baits and lures. Muskie anglers are currently finding success on the New River using crankbaits, jerkbaits and large soft plastics. District 4 small impoundments offer good bass, catfish and bluegill opportunities, give them a try as well. Trout stocking is over for the spring, but don’t let that discourage you from going trout fishing. Terrestrial fly patterns may be a good bet for trout anglers in Anthony, Second and Milligan creeks. For non-fly-fishing trout anglers, spinners work great this time of year and many times you will have the stream to yourself in the summer months. Anglers have recently reported success using rooster tails and joe flies for trout. Be sure to respect the property lines of local private land owners near public access or ask prior to fishing their property.
SOUTHWESTERN WEST VIRGINIA
Lower Ohio and Kanawha Rivers
Tailwater fishing should be good. Jigs with minnows could provide some excellent catches; if artificial baits are your preference white and chartreuse are good colors to try. Blue, flathead and channel catfish activity is picking up as the water continues to warm.
Guyandotte, Coal, Poca, Elk, and Mud Rivers
Flows are low and clear. Streams should be fishable.
Small Impoundments
Bluegill and bass will be feeding and can be caught with nightcrawlers or artificial baits. Catchable sized channel catfish have been stocked in selected impoundments.
WEST-CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA
This is an excellent time to fish Ohio River tailwaters. Anglers fishing below the Belleville dam are catching white bass, hybrid striped bass and a few other species. Lead headed jigs with twister tails white or chartreuses), which are fished along the bottom, are the lure of choice. Clever anglers are tipping their jig hooks with minnows. Fishing for white bass can be quite good this time of year and medium-sized white spinners work well. Hybrid striped bass are being caught on the surface, and agitator bobbers and large surface plugs work well for these top water feeders. Best spots to fish these areas include eddies and back-current sections, and anywhere that river flows are unusual. Fishing along the Willow Island tailwaters is restricted due to hydro-power development. Anglers now have access only to a point approximately 150 yards below the dam and flows have changed significantly.
Also along the Ohio River this year, fishing for black bass largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass has been excellent. Bass Anglers are using spinner-baits, rubber worms, jig-and-pig type combos and shad colored crank baits. Largemouth are being caught along embayments, and the smallmouth and spots are being taken from the river.
Fishing for largemouth bass in area lakes has been very good. Slowly fished plastic worms or jig-and-pig combos, and spinner baits are good terminal tackle choices. As the water warms, surface baits will also be productive. Area lakes with good angling opportunities include: Mountwood in Wood County, Conaway Run in Tyler County, Charles Fork in Roane County, North Bend Lake in Ritchie County and Elk Fork, Woodrum and O’Brien lakes in Jackson County. Fishing for bluegill in our small lakes is also good this time of year. Small baits and lures work well for these panfish.
This is also a good time to fish for catfish in area waters. Most public lakes have good channel catfish populations. Night crawlers, chicken livers, or prepared catfish baits fished along the bottom is always a good method for catfish. Adult catfish were recently stocked into several area lakes. These include Conaway Run Lake in Tyler County; Cedar Creek State Park Lake in Gilmer County; Mountwood Lake and Fort Neal Pond in Wood County; North Bend State Park Pond in Ritchie County, Turkey Run Lake in Jackson County, and the Wirt County Pond. Also, the slowly moving and muddier water that is found in the upper portions of lakes, just after rain events are great places to find channel catfish.
Larger Stream and rivers hold channel catfish, but flathead or mud catfish are also available to catfish anglers. Tactics used in lakes work well for channels in these streams, but flatheads prefer live bait. Large minnows that are fished along deeper areas are the trick for these large catfish.
| NORTHERN | Levels | Conditions | ||||
| Ohio River (Wheeling) | Normal | Clear | ||||
| Fish Creek | Low | Clear | ||||
| Fishing Creek | Low | Clear | ||||
| Big Sandy (Preston) | Low | Clear | ||||
| Monongahela River | Low | Clear | ||||
| Wheeling Creek | High | Milky | ||||
| Buffalo Creek | Low | Clear | ||||
| Blackwater River | Low | Clear | ||||
| EASTERN PANHANDLE | Levels | Conditions | ||||
| S. Branch (Potomac) | Low | Clear | ||||
| S. Branch (Smoke Hole) | Low | Clear | ||||
| Shenandoah River | Low | Clear | ||||
| Patterson Creek | Low | Clear | ||||
| N. Fork S. Branch | Low | Clear | ||||
| Cacapon River | Low | Clear | ||||
| Back Creek | Low | Clear | ||||
| Opequon Creek | Low | Clear | ||||
| Lost River | Low | Clear | ||||
| CENTRAL | Levels | Conditions | ||||
| Elk (Sutton) | Low | Clear | ||||
| Little Kanawha | Low | Clear | ||||
| Elk (Clay) | Low | Clear | ||||
| West Fork River | Low | Clear | ||||
| Gauley River | Low | Clear | ||||
| Cranberry River | Low | Clear | ||||
| Cherry River | Low | Clear | ||||
| Cherry River (N. Fork) | Low | Clear | ||||
| Cherry River (S. Fork) | Low | Clear | ||||
| Williams River | Low | Clear | ||||
| Knapps River | Low | Clear | ||||
| Greenbrier (E&W Forks) | Low | Clear | ||||
| Little River | Low | Clear | ||||
| Shavers Fork | Low | Clear | ||||
| Buckhannon River | Low | Clear | ||||
| Holly River | Low | Clear | ||||
| Elk River (Webster) | Low | Clear | ||||
| Elk River (Back Fork) | Low | Clear | ||||
| SOUTHERN | Levels | Conditions | ||||
| New River (Hinton) | Normal | Clear | ||||
| Greenbrier (Hinton) | Normal | Clear | ||||
| Greenbrier (Ronceverte) | Low | Clear | ||||
| Anthony Creek | Low | Clear | ||||
| Big Creek | Low | Clear | ||||
| Meadow River | Low | Clear | ||||
| Turkey Creek | Normal | Clear | ||||
| Potts Creek | Normal | Clear | ||||
| Second Creek | Normal | Clear | ||||
| Pinnacle Creek | Low | Clear | ||||
| Horse Creek Lake | Low | Clear | ||||
| Big Huff Creek | Low | Clear | ||||
| Indian Creek | Low | Clear | ||||
| Glade Creek (New River) | Low | Clear | ||||
| Marsh Fork | Low | Clear | ||||
| New River (Gauley) | Normal | Clear | ||||
| Glade Creek (Man) | Normal | Clear | ||||
| Camp Creek | Normal | Clear | ||||
| East River | Normal | Clear | ||||
| Fork Creek | Normal | Milky | ||||
| Dry Fork Creek | Normal | Milky | ||||
| Berwind Lake | Normal | Milky | ||||
| WESTERN & SOUTHWESTERN | Levels | Conditions | ||||
| Little Kanawha River | Low | Milky | ||||
| Ohio River | Low | Milky | ||||
| Hughes River | Low | Milky | ||||
Environment • Wildlife • Fishing •
