Favorite Fishing Waters

Channel catfish

Beech Fork, Bluestone, East Lynn, Burnsville, Stonecoal, Tygart, and Stonewall Jackson lakes; Kanawha, New, South Branch of the Potomac, and Ohio rivers. Most warmwater streams and state managed impoundments.

Best baits

Minnows, night crawlers, chicken livers and natural baits.

Crappie

Bluestone, Burnsville, East Lynn, R.D. Bailey, Stonewall Jackson, Sutton, Summersville, and Tygart lakes; Ohio River backwaters.

Favorite baits

Minnows, jigs and minnow-imitating lures.

Hybrid striped bass

Kanawha and Ohio rivers; Beech Fork, Bluestone, East Lynn and R.D. Bailey lakes.

Best baits

White jigs, silver spoons, shad imitation lures and

live minnows.

Largemouth bass

Beech Fork, Bluestone, Burnsville, Cheat, East Lynn, R.D. Bailey, Stonewall Jackson and Sutton lakes;

Ohio River; most farm ponds and state managed lakes.

Best baits

Minnows, night crawlers, crayfish, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs, soft plastic and most top water lures.

Musky

Burnsville, Stonecoal, and Stonewall Jackson lakes; Buckhannon, Elk (downstream of Sutton), Gauley, Hughes, Little Kanawha, Monongahela, Mud, New, and West Fork rivers; Dunkard, Middle Island, Mill and Sandy creeks.

Favorite tackle and baits

Bait casting reels using lures imitating minnows; large spinners. Live creek chubs, suckers or large minnows are excellent bait.

Smallmouth bass

Summersville and Tygart Lakes; Cacapon, Elk, Greenbrier, Little Kanawha, New, South Branch of the Potomac, mainstream Potomac, Ohio and Shenandoah rivers

Favorite tackle and baits

Spinning tackle of medium-light and ultra-light weight using spinners and other artificial lures resembling minnows, night crawlers, hellgrammites, crayfish, crankbaits, jigs, and numerous soft plastic and topwater baits.

Trout          

Cranberry, Elk above Webster Springs, South Branch of the Potomac near Franklin, North Fork of the South Branch, Shavers Fork of Cheat and Williams rivers.

Walleye     

Jennings Randolph, R.D. Bailey, Summersville, Stonecoal, and Tygart lakes; Elk and lower Gauley rivers; Kanawha, Monongahela and Ohio river dam tailwaters.

Best baits

Live minnows, night crawlers, jigs, minnow-imitating crankbaits and spinners.

White bass         

Tygart Lake; Ohio, Kanawha and Monongahela rivers.

Best baits

Jigs, crankbaits, spinners, streamers and live minnows.