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Last WV DNR Update on July 16, 2008 BEECH FORK The reservoir is close to summer pool and murky. For more information call the Corps of Engineers recorded message at 304-525-5092. Bass have been recently caught using Carolina rigged worms, flukes, crankbaits, and shad imitating lures (match the size). Anglers are finding success early and late in the day using small lures. Anglers have reported catching a few crappie from the tailwaters. BLUESTONE Fishing on the lake is fair. Anglers should try their luck around any downed trees or weed beds using worms, small minnows or jigs for sunfish. Bass anglers should concentrate their efforts along areas with good structure such as downed timber, rocky drops, or weed beds. Top water baits such as rapalas, tiny torpedoes, and sluggoes are excellent choices but anglers will find the best top water action early or late. Bluegills can provide anglers with some fast action. Best baits are worms and small jigs. Anglers can have a blast fishing for sunfish. Channel catfish are also hitting in the lake primarily at night on chicken liver and worms. Carp and channel catfish are hitting in the tailwaters with best baits being corn, and nightcrawlers. Occasionally anglers have been catching some other species such as smallmouth bass in the tailwaters on jigs and minnows. BURNSVILLE The lake is at summer pool and milky. Water temperatures are in the 70's and fishing is good. Bass are in about 10 feet of water and moving in and out of shallow water. Crappie have been hitting minnows around fish attractors. Catfish have been caught on live bait in the evenings. The tailwaters have been great for trout and other fish. Trout were stocked on May 29. For more information call Corps of Engineers at 304-853-2398. EAST LYNN The reservoir is at summer pool with a surface temperature of 82 degrees. For more information call the Corps of Engineers recorded message at 304-849-9861. Bass and panfish fishing are both improving with some nice bass being boated recently by individual anglers and during tournaments. Anglers are finding success early and late in the day using small lures. R.D. BAILEY Some spotted bass should be hitting on the lake. The bass will be found along the rocky drops with points another good spot to try. Good baits are plastic jigs in black and chartreuse colors or live shad. Bluegill are providing consistent action in the standing timber. Best baits are worms and small jigs. Hybrid striper and channel catfish fishing is good off of shallow points at night. Best baits are chicken liver and softshell crayfish. Anglers should concentrate their efforts early and late during periods of extreme heat. Carp are also providing a lot of fun for night anglers. Best baits are corn and dough balls. STONECOAL LAKE The lake is three feet below summer pool and cloudy. Water temperatures are in the 70's and fishing is good. Bass are in about 10 feet of water. Crappie and bluegill are hitting minnows around fish attractors. Reports of some nice channel catfish being caught in the evenings. A few trout have also been caught. STONEWALL JACKSON The lake is at summer pool and cloudy. Water temperatures are in the 70's and fishing is good. Bass are in about 10 feet of water and moving in and out of shallow water. Crappie and bluegill have been hitting live bait and jigs. Catfish have been caught on live bait in the evenings. The tailwaters have been great for trout and other fish. Brood trout were stocked Jul 3. For more information contact Corps of Engineers at 304-269-7463. SUMMERSVILLE The lake is at summer pool, clear and fishing has been good. For bass try 10-15 feet of water around rock points as well as the Battle Run area. Walleye have also been caught off of rock points and shallow areas in the McKee Creek arm of the lake. Outflow temperature is 74 degrees. The tailwaters were stocked with trout on June 10. If you are looking for a back country trout fishing experience hike down in and enjoy. For more information call Corps of Engineers at 304-872-5809. SUTTON The lake is at summer pool and clear. Water temperatures are in the 70's and fishing is great. Bass have been in 5 -10 feet of water. Crappie have been hitting minnows around beaver huts and blown down trees. The tailwaters have been good for trout. For daily information call Corps of Engineers at 304-765-2705. TYGART LAKE The lake level is near the summer pool level. The water temperature is 76 degrees from the surface to 15 feet, 74 at 25 feet, 71 at 50 feet, and 69 degrees at 75 feet. Walleyes prefer temperatures around 70 degrees. Use a minnow on a 1/4 -ounce jig or a 3-inch chartreuse power grub. Try casting crank baits or tube jigs to the banks, or jigging in 10 to 20 feet of water for smallmouth bass. Look for schools of white bass in the upper lake above Sandy Creek. Tygart was one of the better lakes for bass tournament success rates in 2007. The tailwater temperature is 68 degrees. Large brood trout were stocked several weeks ago. There are plenty of trout and walleyes in the tailwater and flows are good for fishing. 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)River conditions are normal and fishing success is good. Anglers have been catching all species in the dam tailwaters. Hybrid striped bass move in and out of the tailwaters throughout the day and can be caught with a variety of baits. Five-pound hybrids are common. Channel and flathead catfish are abundant in all the tailwaters. Walleyes and saugers 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 will also be productive. White or chartreuse are good colors. The water temperature in embayments will increase faster than the main river, so largemouth bass and sunfish will be more active in these areas. MONONGAHELA RIVER The water temperature is 78 to 81 degrees and the fishing conditions are good. Anglers have been catching all species in the Morgantown tailwaters, particularly drum, sauger, smallmouth bass, walleye and white bass. Minnows or worms weighted with a split shot or on a jig are particularly good baits but 3-inch plastic grubs will also be productive. White or chartreuse are good colors. Warm water discharges at the Rivesville and Morgantown power plants are still attracting fish. A pier at the Morgantown plant makes fishing safe and convenient. The shoreline between Deckers Creek and the dam is always a good area to fish. CHEAT LAKE Cheat Lake has a very good channel catfish population and they can be caught throughout the lake. A recent fish survey found channel catfish and white bass in large numbers upstream of Mt. Chateau. Cheat Lake has been one of the top lakes for bass fishing tournament success for the past 5 years. The embayments at the Cheat Lake Park are good areas for bank fisherman to catch sunfish and largemouth bass. Smallmouth bass are more abundant near the head of the lake above Mt. Chateau. Keep track of the lake elevation and predicted daily changes in elevation on the Cheat Lake website at www.cheatlaketoday.com. EASTERN PANHANDLE 
SOUTH BRANCH AND CACAPON RIVERSFlows in streams and rivers are still above normal flow and some streams are milky due to recent thunderstorms. Steams throughout the region should be in good fishable condition by the weekend unless more heavy thunderstorms occur. Water temperatures are in the mid 70's to 80 in most waters. Smallmouth bass are hitting top water lures and a variety of plastics. Anglers have been catching lots of nice channel catfish in the larger pools of the South Branch. Many smallmouth bass in the South Branch have been tagged as pat of a fish movement and fish health study. If you catch a tagged fish, please clip off the tag and return it to DNR for a reward. Some areas are receiving summer brood trout stockings so watch the trout stocking report online at http://www.wvdnr.gov/Fishing/Stockng/DailStock.shtm or by calling the hunting and fishing hotline at 304-558-3399. The 2008 fishing regulations include the trout stocking schedule. Hunting and fishing licenses can be purchased online at https://www.wvhunt.com/wizard/hfw000.asp and digital copies of the hunting and fishing regulations are also available online. NORTH BRANCH RIVER The flows in the North Branch are currently near 300 cfs and in great fishing condition. This is a great opportunity to do some summer trout fishing. Flows in the North Branch can be monitored by watching USGS stream gages or the Jennings Randolph website at www.nab.usace.army.mil/recreation/jenran/recinfo.htm. SMALL IMPOUNDMENTS Small impoundments are in good fishable condition and some anglers are still catching trout. Bass and bluegill are active and anglers are catching lots of bass on top water lures and bluegills on worms. Bass can be caught from the shore to about 10 feet of water. Check the 2008 fishing regulations for small impoundment trout stocking schedules. JENNINGS RANDOLPH LAKE Jennings Randolph Lake is currently one foot below conservation pool. The boat launches on both the West Virginia and Maryland side of the lake are open. Some angles have been doing well fishing for walleye near the head of the lake. If you purchased a seasonal pass for either ramp, don't forget the pass is valid for both ramps. This is a great time to target trout and smallmouth bass. Jennings Randolph Lake has a dedicated phone line for up-to-date recreational information 304-355-2980. Recreational information can also be found at www.nab.usace.army.mil/recreation/jenran/recinfo.htm. MT. STORM LAKE Bass fishing in Mt. Storm has been slow and recent tournaments have not done very well. Anglers are still catching hybrid striped bass with chicken livers and WVDNR stocked additional Chesapeake Bay striped bass last week. You will need to fish off the bottom for hybrids and stripers to prevent small channel catfish from stealing your bait. CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA 
Water levels are normal and clear. Lots of trout have been stocked in the state and District 3 waters including: Shavers Fork, the Buckhannon River by rail, Spruce Knob Lake, French Creek Pond, and Cranberry. It is a great time of year to introduce a child to fishing. Go out and make a memory that lasts a lifetime. Check the DNR webpage for statewide trout stockings and updated fishing information (www.wvdnr.gov).SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA 
The New and Greenbrier rivers are providing some good fishing for smallmouth bass. Anglers should try white/chartreuse buzzbaits, white plastic grubs, or small crankbaits or live bait such as hellgrammites or softshell crayfish. Spots below or above shoals are good spots to try your luck. Fishing is best early and late or on cloudy days in all of the small impoundments in southern West Virginia and you should catch some fish. Try spots at the end of points, weed beds, or fallen timber. Best baits are plastic worms fished slowly along the bottom, spinnerbaits are also good choices. Lakes such as Plum Orchard, Horse Creek, Hawks Nest and Pipestem will all provide good bass fishing. Channel catfishing is good in areas like Hawks Nest Lake and some of the other small impoundments. Best time to fish is late night and very early morning with chicken liver or softshells. This is a prime time to take a child fishing! There is no better way to introduce a child or novice to fishing than to take them out for an evening of carp fishing. Try chumming with creamed corn upstream of where you are fishing and use shredded wheat doughball or whole kernel corn for bait. The secret to the dough balls is to mix in a little flavored jello powder as you make the dough ball. Make sure your rods are anchored down with a rock and the drag is loosened or a carp may take it!!! Good spots to catch a carp are Bluestone and R.D. Bailey lakes, New and Kanawha rivers.SOUTHWESTERN WEST VIRGINIA 
LOWER OHIO AND KANAWHA RIVERSFishing is good along the navigable rivers and their locks. Beat the heat by fishing late or early, or at night. Check locations visually or check online for flow levels http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt prior to fishing rather than wasting a trip. Try shad raps, white butterbean jigs, or any similar lures that you may prefer to target white and hybrid striped bass. Fishing is much better for walleye and sauger near locks when the water is up some and turbid or off-color. A slight rain, cloud cover, and fishing at night are all good patterns to follow for these toothy critters. Jigs, spinners and bait (worms, minnows, etc.) are all good choices. Some nice muskie are being hooked on large swimbaits and lures in the Kanawha, Ohio, and their major tributaries. Angles are catching bass in the embayments and targeting any structure they can find in the main channel for success. GUYANDOTTE AND COAL RIVERS Recent reports of hybrids and bass caught near the upper and lower falls using rattle traps and bait. Angles finding success on multiple species during float trips on the Coal. POCA RIVER Reports of bass and an occasional muskie. ELK RIVER Reports of bass and muskie when the water has been at a favorable level. MUD RIVER A few reports of bass, catfish and muskie caught recently. SMALL IMPOUNDMENTS Warmwater fish such as bass, bluegill and catfish will bite better in our small impoundments with rising water temperatures. Try your favorite lures and bait for bass and bluegill. For catfish, try chicken liver, hot dogs, bubble gum and even soap! Shelled shrimp available at any grocery store is also a good choice as is a "gob" of nightcrawlers fished on the bottom. Take a kid or someone new to fishing out during a warmer day and let theme experience the fun as well!! RESERVOIRS Check the USACOE website (http://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/) and the USGS website (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt) for reservoir and tailrace conditions. Fishing in area reservoirs is good. Due to rising water temperature levels and intense heat and light during the day, concentrate our efforts for greater success early, late and during nighttime excursions for all gamefish. As we progress into the summer carp can be found in the shallow backwater areas of reservoirs spawning. Anglers can target these strong fighting fish with either bows or with rod and reels. RIVERS AND STREAMS Check the USGS website (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt) for river/stream conditions and check local landings visually before wasting a trip. This is an excellent time to try a float trip. The Coal River, and the Elk below Sutton to its mouth are two good choices. Take a friend and use a shuttle so you can float through from one launch to another downstream. WEST-CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA 
Summer is an excellent time to fish Ohio River Tail-waters. Anglers fishing below the Belleville and Willow Island dams 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 or shad. Best spots to fish these areas include eddies and back-current sections, and anywhere that river flows are unusual. Schools of hybrid striped bass will periodically move up to the surface to ambush prey, so keep a look out for this activity. When this activity is seen, agitator bobbers fished with rubber minnow imitations or fresh bait fished with surf casting equipment, generally provides the best result. Fresh bait (small skipjack) can be caught from these areas using "Sabiki" rigsElsewhere on the Ohio River fishing for catfish has been good. Channel catfish anglers should use night crawlers, chicken liver, or prepared catfish type baits. Live fish should be used for flatheads. Good fishing sites for catfish include deep areas along islands and tributary mouths. Fishing has been good for largemouth bass in area lakes. Spinner baits, rubber worms, crank baits, and surface lures are producing bass in areas of good cover. Good choices for area lakes include Mountwood in Wood County, Conaway Run in Tyler, Charles Fork in Roane, North Bend Lake in Ritchie County, and Elk Fork, Woodrum, and O'Brien lakes in Jackson County. Best fishing times will be early in the morning and during the evening hours. These lakes can also supply good bluegill fishing. For these sunfish use trout magnets or spinners, small jigs, or small worms. Fishing for 8-12 inch sized largemouth bass at Woodrum Lake in Jackson County has also been quite good. Summer is a good time to fish for channel catfish in area lakes and streams. Chicken livers, night crawlers, and prepared catfish bait work well. Remember fishing at night is generally better than fishing during the day for catfish in the summer. Local musky streams should be fishable this weekend. Summer musky anglers use large crank baits or jerk baits and best spots are usually around fallen trees or riffle areas. Fishing has been quite good this year for musky along Middle Island Creek, the Little Kanawha River, and on the Hughes River and it's forks. Get the Stream Conditions for your favorite fishing spot! |
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