Fishing in West Virginia
West Virginia offers excellent smallmouth bass fishing on the New and Greenbrier Rivers, plus quality trout fishing in mountain streams. The state is an underrated fishing destination.
Tournament Scene
Active smallmouth bass tournament scene on New River and Kanawha.
Local Tips
New River for trophy smallmouth. Greenbrier River for smallmouth. Elk River for trout. Stonewall Jackson Lake for bass. Burnsville Lake for bass.
Local Circuits
Public Access
Good access on rivers and state lakes.
Species in West Virginia
What you can target and when
Smallmouth Bass
excellentBest Waters
New River · Greenbrier River · Shenandoah River
Rainbow Trout
goodBest Waters
Cranberry River · Williams River · Elk River
Top Waters in West Virginia
Lakes, rivers, bays, and coastal fisheries
New River
One of the oldest rivers in the world with trophy smallmouth.
Top Species
Best: Spring/Summer
Freedom Parkersburg Pike Blitz
Iron Charleston Trout Face-Off
Pioneer Summersville Bluegill Battle
National Summersville Trout Grind
Regional Burnsville Bass Battle
Heritage Summersville Trout Blitz
Fishing Licenses & Regulations
Resident License
Annual Resident: $19. Trout Stamp: $19.
Non-Resident License
Annual Non-Resident: $50. 3-Day: $15.
Short-Term License
3-Day non-resident license available.
Youth & Senior
Free for residents under 15. Free for seniors 65+.
Boat Registration
Required for motorized vessels.
Tournament Permit
Permits required for organized events.
Regulations Overview
6 bass daily limit. 12-inch minimum. Complex trout regulations.
America's Largest Fishing Tournament Directory
JOIN REELTOURNAMENTS.COM
Start free and upgrade anytime. Access 2,000+ tournaments across all 50 states.
Free Member
$0/forever
- Browse 2,000+ tournaments nationwide
- Search by state, species & category
- View tournament details & registration
- Access species guide & state directory
- Submit your own tournaments
Pro Member
$9.95/month
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Priority email alerts for new tournaments
- Advanced search filters & saved searches
- Exclusive tournament deals & early access
- Detailed angler stats & leaderboard insights
- Ad-free browsing experience
- Priority customer support