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North Branch Potomac River is a public river in Mineral County, Grant County, Hampshire County and Tucker County, West Virginia, managed by State of West Virginia (public / navigable water). You can fish it on a West Virginia licence; bank access is at road crossings, parks, WVDNR public fishing and boating access sites, the Monongahela National Forest and the New River Gorge NP, and riparian owners control the bank on non-navigable reaches. A trout stamp is required to fish for or keep trout. Public access confirmed via public-trust river.
The Potomac and its South Branch, North Branch and mainstem through the Eastern Panhandle — a nationally-known smallmouth-bass fishery, with rock bass, redbreast sunfish, channel catfish, walleye and musky. The North Branch below Jennings Randolph Dam and the upper South Branch also hold trout.
It runs roughly 94 miles through the North Central & Northern Panhandle region. Anglers here mostly fish for smallmouth bass, rock bass, redbreast sunfish, channel catfish; walleye, muskellunge, bluegill are also on record. Live flow and gauge height come from the North Branch Potomac River At Steyer, Md USGS station shown below. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Georges Creek and Piney Swamp Run.
Species from PiscaMaps water-type profiles, WVDNR trout designations and hand research.
Night fishing: No statewide night-fishing closure in West Virginia. Some state-park lakes and a few WVDNR lakes post hours or gate at dark; the per-lake NightFishing status is shown on the water page where WVDNR records it. Trotlines, throwlines and juglines are legal on many warmwater rivers and lakes (not on trout water or in most state-park lakes) with the gear tagged.
Boats: Most West Virginia rivers are waded or floated by canoe, kayak, raft and jon boat; the Ohio, Kanawha, lower Monongahela and Little Kanawha are pool rivers that take full-size boats. The New, Gauley and Cheat gorges are whitewater.
Bank & bivvy camping: You may fish and float any navigable West Virginia river on a fishing licence. Bank access is at WVDNR public fishing and boating access sites, state parks and forests, the Monongahela National Forest, the New River Gorge NP and bridge crossings; riparian owners control the bank on non-navigable reaches. A trout stamp is required to fish for or keep trout, plus a National Forest stamp on Monongahela NF waters.
Boat ramps: 4 mapped — Barnum Whitewater Area, Spring Gap boat launch, Boat ramp, Boat ramp.
Camping: 10 sites mapped nearby — Spring Gap, Evitts Creek Hiker / Biker Campsite, Irons Mountain Hiker Biker Campsite, Hillcrest River Kampground, Pigmans Ferry Hiker Biker Campsite, Potomac Forks Hiker Biker Campsite and others.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Loading live flow & gauge height…
Live from USGS gauge 01595000 — North Branch Potomac River At Steyer, Md. Full gauge data →
Anyone 15-64 needs a West Virginia Division of Natural Resources fishing licence — resident annual is about $19, non-resident annual about $37 (non-resident short-term licences are sold). A trout stamp (about $12, resident and non-resident) is required to fish for or possess trout anywhere in the state, and a National Forest stamp (about $3) is needed on the stocked waters inside the Monongahela National Forest. West Virginia residents 65 and older who were residents before turning 65 are licence-exempt but still need the trout and National Forest stamps. Buy from WVDNR at wvdnr.gov / 'Go Wild' (wvhunt.com). A West Virginia fishing licence covers navigable rivers. The Ohio River is fished on a West Virginia or Ohio licence; the Potomac mainstem on a West Virginia or Maryland licence. A trout stamp is required on the stocked and wild trout sections.
Every water carries species, bank & boat access, current regulations and live water conditions — and members get Swim Mapper, Catch Logger and Trip Planner. It's the only US map with a dedicated carp-water layer.
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