West Virginia fishing reports
26 reports for West Virginia — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Chain Pickerel State Record Falls Again in WV as Full-Moon Spring Peak Arrives
West Virginia's spring freshwater season is delivering record-caliber results. On April 21, Matt Born of Reedsville caught a 27.95-inch, 5.65-pound chain pickerel from a private Preston County pond — using a homemade spinner on 4-pound-test — edging out the state record he set in 2019, per Wired 2 Fish. That follows a golden trout state record on April 2, when 15-year-old Hunter Rohr landed a trophy on the South Branch Potomac at Smoke Hole using light spinning tackle and floats, per Outdoor Hub. USGS gauge 03051000 shows flow at 469 cfs this morning — moderate, wader-friendly levels indicating manageable conditions across WV's river system. With a full moon today, expect peak feeding windows around dawn and dusk, particularly for New River smallmouth bass entering the pre-spawn transition. The overall picture heading into this weekend is one of the more active early-May freshwater bites WV has seen in recent memory.
New River holds 194 cfs as spring transition accelerates
The New River was flowing at 194 cubic feet per second on April 28, according to USGS gauge 03051000, with no water-temperature reading available at the time. Flow stage remains stable and typical for late April, offering steady wading and access conditions across the region. Water temperatures this time of year typically climb toward the 60–65°F range, which should trigger active feeding windows across catfish, bass, and walleye populations. Current conditions suggest a reliable window for seasonal species targeting through early May, with flows stable enough to support planned trips.