18 public waters in the Metro Valley & Southern Coalfields region — 2 lakes/reservoirs and 16 rivers. Every one is public water fishable on a West Virginia licence.
See every public fishing venue in West Virginia on the map, with boat ramps, camping, parking and full rules for each one.
Berwind Lake (17 acres) sits in McDowell County, West Virginia, managed by West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (public fishing lake). A West Virginia stocked-Trout lake or pond — rainbow, golden rainbow, brown and Brook Trout stocked on a winter-into-spring rotation (checked live on the WVDNR stocking report), with resident Largemouth Bass, Bluegill and Channel Catfish the rest of the year. A Trout stamp is required.
McDowell County, West Virginia — Anawalt Lake is a 6-acre lake, managed by West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (public fishing lake): A West Virginia stocked-Trout lake or pond — rainbow, golden rainbow, brown and Brook Trout stocked on a winter-into-spring rotation (checked live on the WVDNR stocking report), with resident Largemouth Bass, Bluegill and Channel Catfish the rest of the year. A Trout stamp is required.
Tug Fork runs 238 km through Mingo, McDowell and Wayne Counties, West Virginia: A warmwater West Virginia river (the Guyandotte, Coal, Mud, Twelvepole Creek, Tug Fork, Pocatalico, Bluestone, Pond Fork) — largemouth, smallmouth and Spotted Bass, Rock Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Muskellunge on several, and Sauger in the lower reaches. Wade, paddle or fish from the bank at WVDNR access sites and bridges.
Dry Fork (60 km) flows through McDowell County, West Virginia. A larger West Virginia freestone Trout river (the Cranberry, Williams, upper Elk, Shavers Fork, upper Gauley, North Fork South Branch) — stocked and wild rainbow, brown and Brook Trout in cold, clear, boulder-strewn water, with Smallmouth Bass and Rock Bass moving in through the lower and warmer reaches in summer.
In McDowell and Mingo Counties, West Virginia, Knox Creek is a 8 km river or creek. A West Virginia smallmouth river (the South Branch Potomac, Cacapon, Greenbrier, Elk, Tygart Valley, Buckhannon, West Fork, Little Kanawha, Middle Island Creek) — Smallmouth Bass on the ledges and grass, Rock Bass ('redeye'), Redbreast Sunfish, Channel Catfish, and Muskellunge and Walleye on the bigger rivers. Classic float-and-wade bronzeback water.
Elkhorn Creek (24 km) flows through McDowell and Mercer Counties, West Virginia. A West Virginia stocked Trout stream — rainbow, golden rainbow, brown and Brook Trout stocked from the WVDNR hatcheries (Edray, Bowden, Petersburg, Reeds Creek, Ridge) between January/February and May. Brook Trout ('natives'/'brookies') are the state fish and the only Trout native to the state. A Trout stamp is required to fish or possess Trout.
McDowell County, West Virginia — Slate Creek is a 2 km stream: A West Virginia smallmouth river (the South Branch Potomac, Cacapon, Greenbrier, Elk, Tygart Valley, Buckhannon, West Fork, Little Kanawha, Middle Island Creek) — Smallmouth Bass on the ledges and grass, Rock Bass ('redeye'), Redbreast Sunfish, Channel Catfish, and Muskellunge and Walleye on the bigger rivers. Classic float-and-wade bronzeback water.
Little Huff Creek runs 17 km through Wyoming, Mingo and McDowell Counties, West Virginia: A West Virginia smallmouth river (the South Branch Potomac, Cacapon, Greenbrier, Elk, Tygart Valley, Buckhannon, West Fork, Little Kanawha, Middle Island Creek) — Smallmouth Bass on the ledges and grass, Rock Bass ('redeye'), Redbreast Sunfish, Channel Catfish, and Muskellunge and Walleye on the bigger rivers. Classic float-and-wade bronzeback water.
Jacobs Fork runs 15 km through McDowell County, West Virginia: A West Virginia smallmouth river (the South Branch Potomac, Cacapon, Greenbrier, Elk, Tygart Valley, Buckhannon, West Fork, Little Kanawha, Middle Island Creek) — Smallmouth Bass on the ledges and grass, Rock Bass ('redeye'), Redbreast Sunfish, Channel Catfish, and Muskellunge and Walleye on the bigger rivers. Classic float-and-wade bronzeback water.
Big Creek (6 km) flows through McDowell County, West Virginia. A West Virginia smallmouth river (the South Branch Potomac, Cacapon, Greenbrier, Elk, Tygart Valley, Buckhannon, West Fork, Little Kanawha, Middle Island Creek) — Smallmouth Bass on the ledges and grass, Rock Bass ('redeye'), Redbreast Sunfish, Channel Catfish, and Muskellunge and Walleye on the bigger rivers. Classic float-and-wade bronzeback water.
In McDowell County, West Virginia, Panther Creek is a 12 km river or creek. A West Virginia stocked Trout stream — rainbow, golden rainbow, brown and Brook Trout stocked from the WVDNR hatcheries (Edray, Bowden, Petersburg, Reeds Creek, Ridge) between January/February and May. Brook Trout ('natives'/'brookies') are the state fish and the only Trout native to the state. A Trout stamp is required to fish or possess Trout.
North Fork Elkhorn Creek runs 12 km through McDowell and Wyoming Counties, West Virginia: A West Virginia smallmouth river (the South Branch Potomac, Cacapon, Greenbrier, Elk, Tygart Valley, Buckhannon, West Fork, Little Kanawha, Middle Island Creek) — Smallmouth Bass on the ledges and grass, Rock Bass ('redeye'), Redbreast Sunfish, Channel Catfish, and Muskellunge and Walleye on the bigger rivers. Classic float-and-wade bronzeback water.
Little Slate Creek (10 km) flows through McDowell County, West Virginia. A West Virginia smallmouth river (the South Branch Potomac, Cacapon, Greenbrier, Elk, Tygart Valley, Buckhannon, West Fork, Little Kanawha, Middle Island Creek) — Smallmouth Bass on the ledges and grass, Rock Bass ('redeye'), Redbreast Sunfish, Channel Catfish, and Muskellunge and Walleye on the bigger rivers. Classic float-and-wade bronzeback water.
Buzzard Branch (8 km) flows through McDowell and Wyoming Counties, West Virginia. A West Virginia smallmouth river (the South Branch Potomac, Cacapon, Greenbrier, Elk, Tygart Valley, Buckhannon, West Fork, Little Kanawha, Middle Island Creek) — Smallmouth Bass on the ledges and grass, Rock Bass ('redeye'), Redbreast Sunfish, Channel Catfish, and Muskellunge and Walleye on the bigger rivers. Classic float-and-wade bronzeback water.
McDowell and Wyoming Counties, West Virginia — Browns Creek is a 7 km stream: A West Virginia smallmouth river (the South Branch Potomac, Cacapon, Greenbrier, Elk, Tygart Valley, Buckhannon, West Fork, Little Kanawha, Middle Island Creek) — Smallmouth Bass on the ledges and grass, Rock Bass ('redeye'), Redbreast Sunfish, Channel Catfish, and Muskellunge and Walleye on the bigger rivers. Classic float-and-wade bronzeback water.
Jackson Fork runs 5 km through McDowell County, West Virginia: A West Virginia smallmouth river (the South Branch Potomac, Cacapon, Greenbrier, Elk, Tygart Valley, Buckhannon, West Fork, Little Kanawha, Middle Island Creek) — Smallmouth Bass on the ledges and grass, Rock Bass ('redeye'), Redbreast Sunfish, Channel Catfish, and Muskellunge and Walleye on the bigger rivers. Classic float-and-wade bronzeback water.
In McDowell and Wyoming Counties, West Virginia, Laurel Branch is a 8 km river or creek. A West Virginia smallmouth river (the South Branch Potomac, Cacapon, Greenbrier, Elk, Tygart Valley, Buckhannon, West Fork, Little Kanawha, Middle Island Creek) — Smallmouth Bass on the ledges and grass, Rock Bass ('redeye'), Redbreast Sunfish, Channel Catfish, and Muskellunge and Walleye on the bigger rivers. Classic float-and-wade bronzeback water.
Long Branch (7 km) flows through McDowell County, West Virginia. A West Virginia smallmouth river (the South Branch Potomac, Cacapon, Greenbrier, Elk, Tygart Valley, Buckhannon, West Fork, Little Kanawha, Middle Island Creek) — Smallmouth Bass on the ledges and grass, Rock Bass ('redeye'), Redbreast Sunfish, Channel Catfish, and Muskellunge and Walleye on the bigger rivers. Classic float-and-wade bronzeback water.
Across its mapped waters, McDowell County holds 15 species on PiscaMaps, including Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass, Muskellunge, Redbreast Sunfish, Walleye and Rainbow Trout.
Ramps, put-ins and species for every water — plus the carp layer no other US app has.
Open the West Virginia map Join PiscaMapsOne West Virginia Division of Natural Resources fishing licence covers every public water in the state — resident annual about $19, non-resident annual about $37, with short-term non-resident options. A ~$12 trout stamp (resident and non-resident, including licence-exempt seniors and youths) is required to fish for or keep trout anywhere, plus a ~$3 National Forest stamp on Monongahela National Forest waters. West Virginia residents 65 and older who were residents before turning 65 are licence-exempt but still need the stamps. Buy at wvdnr.gov or ‘Go Wild’.