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Fishing regulations at Laurel Fork, WV
Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.
Fishing regulations in West Virginia can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.
Regulations for top species
Brook trout
The maximum number of individual fish legally harvested per harvester per day. Bag limits are only for properly licensed anglers actively harvesting the species. People who are not actively harvesting or are not properly licensed (if a license is required) may NOT be counted for the purpose of bag limits.
The maximum number of individual fish across an aggregate group of species legally harvested per harvester per day.
WV Wanton Waste
It is illegal for any person to cause through carelessness, neglect or otherwise to let any edible portion of any game fish to go to waste needlessly. The edible portion is the fillet meat from the gill plate to the tail fin. Edible meat does not include bones, sinew, viscera, meat from the head or neck, meat that has been damaged or rendered inedible by method of taking, or meat that is reasonably lost as a result of boning or close trimming of bones.
WV Prohibited Gear
IT IS ILLEGAL TO (1) use a firearm, crossbow, dynamite or any like explosive, or a poisonous mixture placed in the water for the purpose of killing or taking fish, frogs, aquatic turtles or other forms of aquatic life; (2) use any free-floating device (jug fishing) used to deploy a hook and line; (3) fish with more than two lines or poles in an impoundment stocked with trout by the WVDNR from January 1 – May 31; (4) stock fish in the waters of West Virginia. Please do not release unused bait into West Virginia waters; (5) sell any fish for profit; (6) sell or give any fish caught in public waters to a pay pond; (7) improperly dispose of, leave on a bank or in the water fish taken while bow fishing; and (8) fish within 200 feet of Division of Natural Resources personnel who are stocking fish in public waters.
WV Spearfishing
Nongame fish may be taken by spearfishing from July 1 – September 30 during daylight hours only. Gamefish are not permitted to be taken while spear fishing. A complete list of gamefish is on the back cover of the regulations. Spearfishing is prohibited on: (1) Elk River, from Sutton Dam downstream to the U.S. Route 19 bridge at Sutton; (2) New River, from Bluestone Dam downstream to the lower bridge at Hinton.Spearguns may be discharged only beneath the surface of the water.It is illegal to use a bolt having an explosive head or shaft or a bolt dipped in or smeared with poison or other chemicals.A diver may not spearfish in such a manner as to interfere with other anglers.A diver may not spearfish in heavily traveled boat lanes, marked swimming areas or marked waterskiing areas."Diver down flag" shall be a red field of not less than 10 inches x 10 inches dimension with a white diagonal stripe not less than 1.5 inches wide running upper left to lower right. The flag shall be displayed at all times and be affixed to a separate flotation device. No such flag shall be attached to any navigational device or placed so as to obstruct boat traffic. Divers must come up within 100 feet of flag. All powerboats will remain a minimum distance of 100 feet away from the marker flag. The top of the flag shall be at least 3 feet above the surface of the water.Fish taken by spearfishing may not be returned to the water or left on the bank.
WV Trotlines
Trotlines and droplines must be attached to the bank or a tree thereon, must bear an identification tag that is legible and waterproof, and must be attended every 24 hours. The tag must either bear the owner's name and address or his or her WVDNR identification number. Wire or cable lines and hooks with more than one point are prohibited.IT IS ILLEGAL TO:fish with trotlines and droplines in state-managed impoundments except Stonecoal, Hawks Nest, Mt. Storm, Cheat and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes;attach a trotline to public piers and docks or within 50 feet of dam appurtenances;use droplines on the Elk River, Hughes River, Little Kanawha River, Middle Island Creek, and South Fork of Hughes River.
WV Seining + Traps
Game fish may not be seined or trapped. A seine may be used to obtain minnows for use as bait provided the seine is not longer than eight feet nor deeper than four feet. A thrownet may be used provided the radius is no larger than 12 feet and mesh size no larger than 1-inch. Minnow traps may be used provided the openings are not larger than one inch in diameter. A person may have in his possession no more than 50 minnows nor more than a total of 100 aquatic animal life unless obtained from a licensed dealer and a bill of sale is provided. A valid West Virginia fishing license is needed to collect minnows and other aquatic life. Minnow traps must be tagged with a waterproof, legible tag bearing either the owner's name and address or his or her WVDNR identification number. Minnow traps must also be checked once every 24 hours.
WV Ice Fishing
Holes cut for ice fishing must be no larger than 10 inches in diameter. This applies to public waters where ice fishing is allowed.
WV Gigging, Snagging, Snaring
Suckers, carp, fallfish, and creek chubs may be taken by snaring year-round. Nongame fish, certain turtles and eels may be taken by gigging, snagging, or snaring from January 1 – May 15 and from July 15 – December 31, except that snagging and gigging shall be prohibited within 100 feet of all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Locks and Dams and their appurtenances. Snagging of game fish is prohibited.
WV Dipping
Dipping for nongame fish is legal year-round with a valid West Virginia fishing license. A dip net may not exceed 36 square feet in overall area, and its mesh may not be smaller than one-fourth inch.
WV Bow Fishing
Bow fishing for game fish is not permitted. Only common carp, bighead carp, silver carp, and grass carp may be taken by bow year-round; smallmouth buffalo are not carp and cannot be shot year-round. Other nongame fish may be taken by bow during all months of the year except May and June. All anglers must have a valid fishing license in order to fish using a bow. All persons using a bow to fish must observe all applicable fishing regulations. Fish taken by bow fishing may not be returned to the water or left on the bank.IT IS ILLEGAL to use an arrow having an explosive head or shaft or an arrow dipped in or smeared with poison or other chemicals.
No size limit. Possession limit = 12 trout (rainbow, golden rainbow, tiger, brown, brook) in any combination.
SPECIAL AREA REGULATIONS:
1 - For the waters listed below: (1) Fishing permitted during daylight hours only, except that on the three North Branch of the Potomac River Catch-and-Release Trout Fishing Areas fishing is permitted between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. only. (2) Only artificial flies and lures made of metal, wood, feathers, hair, or synthetic material may be used or possessed on catch-and-release trout streams. No lure or fly with any scent, oil, or edible enticement added onto, or impregnated into (regardless if the scent is added in the manufacturing process or applied afterward), may be used or possessed on any catch-and-release trout stream. (3) Multiple hook lures must have barbless hooks (except on the North Branch of the Potomac River Catch & Release areas). (4) Single hook lures may have barbed hooks. (5) All trout caught must be returned to the water at once. (6) No trout shall be in the angler's possession while on stream sections designated as catch-and-release streams. (7) Powerbait, Gulp and other manufactured scented baits are considered illegal under this section and may not be used or possessed on catch-and-release streams.
- Back Fork of Elk River – Webster County (4-mile section beginning 2 miles upstream from Webster Springs and extending upstream. Access by county Routes 24 and 24/3).
- Barkers Creek of Guyandotte River – Wyoming County (from the mouth of Barkers Creek upstream to include the entire drainage area for a total of 88 stream miles).
- Blackwater River – Tucker County (3.5-mile section from the county Route 29/1 bridge in Blackwater Falls State Park downstream to the mouth of the North Fork).
- Bluestone River – Summers County (1-mile section from the mouth of Mountain Creek downstream to a stream gauge station within Pipestem State Park).
- Cranberry River – Webster, Pocahontas and Nicholas counties (4.3-mile section from the junction of the North and South forks downstream to the low water bridge at Dogway Fork. Access by foot on National Forest Route 76 from the Cranberry Glades parking area).
- Elkhorn Creek – McDowell County (from the mouth of Elkhorn Creek upstream to include the entire drainage area for a total of 171 stream miles).
- Elk River – Randolph County (2-mile section from the Elk Springs Campground downstream to Rose Run bridge. Access by county Route 49 off state Route 15 about 4 miles west of Valley Head).
- Glade Creek of New River – Raleigh County (3-mile section from the mouth upstream to the National Park Service foot bridge. Access by Glade Creek Road off state Route 41).
- Guyandotte River – Wyoming and Raleigh counties (entire drainage upstream of railroad bridge in Mullens, including all tributaries and totaling 101 miles).
- Middle Fork of Williams River and tributaries – Webster/Pocahontas counties.
- Mill Creek – Randolph County (entire length of Mill Creek and its tributaries within Kumbrabow State Forest).
- North Branch of Potomac River – Grant and Mineral counties (see the current Maryland Fishing Regulations for special regulations on the North Branch of the Potomac and Potomac rivers).
- North Fork of Cherry River – Nicholas County (1.8-mile section extending upstream from Richwood's water supply dam to first state Route 39 bridge. Access by state Route 39).
- North Fork of Cranberry River – Pocahontas County (0.25-mile section from the mouth upstream to the limestone treatment dam. Access by foot on National Forest Route 76).
- North Fork of the South Branch – Pendleton County (0.75-mile section at the mouth of Seneca Creek near Seneca Rocks Visitors Center. Access by county Route 28/3 at junction of state Route 28 and U.S. Route 33 at Seneca Rocks).
- Otter Creek and tributaries – Randolph/Tucker counties.
- Red Creek and tributaries – Tucker County (upstream of county Route 45 bridge).
- Seneca Creek – Pendleton County (0.20-mile section from the mouth extending upstream to the Route 28 bridge):
- Slatyfork section of Elk River – Pocahontas County (4.6-mile section from the junction of Big Spring and Old Field forks downstream to the mouth of Dry Branch, including Props Run and Big Run. Access by foot from county Routes 219/2 on the north and 219/12 on the south).
- South Branch of the Potomac River – Pendleton County (1-mile section beginning 2 miles below U.S. Route 220 at Eagle Rock and extending downstream. Access by county Route 2).
- Tea Creek and tributaries – Pocahontas County (Upstream of Tea Creek Campground).
2 - For waters listed below: (1) Catch-and-release regulations apply: November 1 – May 15. (2) General regulations apply: May 16 – October 31.
- Clear Fork of the Guyandotte River – Wyoming County (1-mile section from the R.D. Bailey WMA manager's residence downstream to the state Route 6 bridge).
- Middle Wheeling Creek – Ohio County (1.2-mile section from just above the upper limits of Middle Wheeling Creek Lake upstream to mouth of Gillespie Run. Access by county Route 39/6).
- Paint Creek - Fayette and Kanawha counties (from Ash Branch upstream 12.5 miles to the mouth of Milburn Creek).
- Shavers Fork River - Randolph County (the 5.5-mile section extending from the mouth of Whitmeadow Run downstream to the mouth of McGee Run).
- Williams River - Pocahontas County (from a signed location approximately 2 miles downstream of Tea Creek extending 2 miles downstream. Access by National Forest Route 86).
3 - For waters listed below: (1) Fishing permitted during daylight hours only. (2) Only artificial flies and streamers may be used or in possession on any of the fly fishing-only streams. (3) Only conventional fly fishing tackle may be used. (4) Open-face and closed-face spinning or spincast reels are prohibited. (5) All fish caught must be returned to water at once. (6) No trout shall be in the angler's possession while on stream sections designated as fly-fishing-only streams. (7) No lure or fly with any scent, oil, or edible enticement added onto, or impregnated into (regardless if the scent is added in the manufacturing process or applied afterward), may be used or possessed on any fly-fishing-only trout stream. (8) Powerbait, Gulp and other manufactured scented baits are considered illegal under this section and may not be used or possessed on catch-and-release streams.
- Dogway Fork of the Cranberry – Webster, Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties (Main stream and all tributaries of Dogway Fork. Access by foot on National Forest Route 78).
- Edwards Run – Hampshire County (upstream of the Edwards Run Pond 1.25 miles to the upstream boundary of Edwards Run WMA).
- Milligan Creek – Greenbrier County (marked area about 1 mile north of U.S. Route 60 from the county Route 60/15 bridge extending downstream about .33-mile to a fence crossing).
- Red Run of Dry Fork – Tucker County (main stream and all tributaries of Red Run. Access by foot from state Route 72 and National Forest Route 13).
- Second Creek – Greenbrier and Monroe counties (marked 2.4-mile section on the Monroe/Greenbrier county line at Rodgers Mill).
- Spring Run – Grant County (marked one mile section along Spring Run Road near Dorcas).
- Thorn Creek – Pendleton County (marked .5-mile section beginning approximately 3 miles above the mouth. Access is by county Route 20).
4 - For waters listed below: daily creel limit = 2 trout (rainbow, golden rainbow, tiger, brown, brook) in any combination.
- Stephens Lake - Raleigh County
5 - Jennings Randolph Lake: See Maryland Fishing Regulations.
Rainbow trout
The maximum number of individual fish legally harvested per harvester per day. Bag limits are only for properly licensed anglers actively harvesting the species. People who are not actively harvesting or are not properly licensed (if a license is required) may NOT be counted for the purpose of bag limits.
The maximum number of individual fish across an aggregate group of species legally harvested per harvester per day.
WV Wanton Waste
It is illegal for any person to cause through carelessness, neglect or otherwise to let any edible portion of any game fish to go to waste needlessly. The edible portion is the fillet meat from the gill plate to the tail fin. Edible meat does not include bones, sinew, viscera, meat from the head or neck, meat that has been damaged or rendered inedible by method of taking, or meat that is reasonably lost as a result of boning or close trimming of bones.
WV Prohibited Gear
IT IS ILLEGAL TO (1) use a firearm, crossbow, dynamite or any like explosive, or a poisonous mixture placed in the water for the purpose of killing or taking fish, frogs, aquatic turtles or other forms of aquatic life; (2) use any free-floating device (jug fishing) used to deploy a hook and line; (3) fish with more than two lines or poles in an impoundment stocked with trout by the WVDNR from January 1 – May 31; (4) stock fish in the waters of West Virginia. Please do not release unused bait into West Virginia waters; (5) sell any fish for profit; (6) sell or give any fish caught in public waters to a pay pond; (7) improperly dispose of, leave on a bank or in the water fish taken while bow fishing; and (8) fish within 200 feet of Division of Natural Resources personnel who are stocking fish in public waters.
WV Spearfishing
Nongame fish may be taken by spearfishing from July 1 – September 30 during daylight hours only. Gamefish are not permitted to be taken while spear fishing. A complete list of gamefish is on the back cover of the regulations. Spearfishing is prohibited on: (1) Elk River, from Sutton Dam downstream to the U.S. Route 19 bridge at Sutton; (2) New River, from Bluestone Dam downstream to the lower bridge at Hinton.Spearguns may be discharged only beneath the surface of the water.It is illegal to use a bolt having an explosive head or shaft or a bolt dipped in or smeared with poison or other chemicals.A diver may not spearfish in such a manner as to interfere with other anglers.A diver may not spearfish in heavily traveled boat lanes, marked swimming areas or marked waterskiing areas."Diver down flag" shall be a red field of not less than 10 inches x 10 inches dimension with a white diagonal stripe not less than 1.5 inches wide running upper left to lower right. The flag shall be displayed at all times and be affixed to a separate flotation device. No such flag shall be attached to any navigational device or placed so as to obstruct boat traffic. Divers must come up within 100 feet of flag. All powerboats will remain a minimum distance of 100 feet away from the marker flag. The top of the flag shall be at least 3 feet above the surface of the water.Fish taken by spearfishing may not be returned to the water or left on the bank.
WV Trotlines
Trotlines and droplines must be attached to the bank or a tree thereon, must bear an identification tag that is legible and waterproof, and must be attended every 24 hours. The tag must either bear the owner's name and address or his or her WVDNR identification number. Wire or cable lines and hooks with more than one point are prohibited.IT IS ILLEGAL TO:fish with trotlines and droplines in state-managed impoundments except Stonecoal, Hawks Nest, Mt. Storm, Cheat and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes;attach a trotline to public piers and docks or within 50 feet of dam appurtenances;use droplines on the Elk River, Hughes River, Little Kanawha River, Middle Island Creek, and South Fork of Hughes River.
WV Seining + Traps
Game fish may not be seined or trapped. A seine may be used to obtain minnows for use as bait provided the seine is not longer than eight feet nor deeper than four feet. A thrownet may be used provided the radius is no larger than 12 feet and mesh size no larger than 1-inch. Minnow traps may be used provided the openings are not larger than one inch in diameter. A person may have in his possession no more than 50 minnows nor more than a total of 100 aquatic animal life unless obtained from a licensed dealer and a bill of sale is provided. A valid West Virginia fishing license is needed to collect minnows and other aquatic life. Minnow traps must be tagged with a waterproof, legible tag bearing either the owner's name and address or his or her WVDNR identification number. Minnow traps must also be checked once every 24 hours.
WV Ice Fishing
Holes cut for ice fishing must be no larger than 10 inches in diameter. This applies to public waters where ice fishing is allowed.
WV Gigging, Snagging, Snaring
Suckers, carp, fallfish, and creek chubs may be taken by snaring year-round. Nongame fish, certain turtles and eels may be taken by gigging, snagging, or snaring from January 1 – May 15 and from July 15 – December 31, except that snagging and gigging shall be prohibited within 100 feet of all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Locks and Dams and their appurtenances. Snagging of game fish is prohibited.
WV Dipping
Dipping for nongame fish is legal year-round with a valid West Virginia fishing license. A dip net may not exceed 36 square feet in overall area, and its mesh may not be smaller than one-fourth inch.
WV Bow Fishing
Bow fishing for game fish is not permitted. Only common carp, bighead carp, silver carp, and grass carp may be taken by bow year-round; smallmouth buffalo are not carp and cannot be shot year-round. Other nongame fish may be taken by bow during all months of the year except May and June. All anglers must have a valid fishing license in order to fish using a bow. All persons using a bow to fish must observe all applicable fishing regulations. Fish taken by bow fishing may not be returned to the water or left on the bank.IT IS ILLEGAL to use an arrow having an explosive head or shaft or an arrow dipped in or smeared with poison or other chemicals.
No size limit. Possession limit = 12 trout (rainbow, golden rainbow, tiger, brown, brook) in any combination.
SPECIAL AREA REGULATIONS:
1 - For the waters listed below: (1) Fishing permitted during daylight hours only, except that on the three North Branch of the Potomac River Catch-and-Release Trout Fishing Areas fishing is permitted between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. only. (2) Only artificial flies and lures made of metal, wood, feathers, hair, or synthetic material may be used or possessed on catch-and-release trout streams. No lure or fly with any scent, oil, or edible enticement added onto, or impregnated into (regardless if the scent is added in the manufacturing process or applied afterward), may be used or possessed on any catch-and-release trout stream. (3) Multiple hook lures must have barbless hooks (except on the North Branch of the Potomac River Catch & Release areas). (4) Single hook lures may have barbed hooks. (5) All trout caught must be returned to the water at once. (6) No trout shall be in the angler's possession while on stream sections designated as catch-and-release streams. (7) Powerbait, Gulp and other manufactured scented baits are considered illegal under this section and may not be used or possessed on catch-and-release streams.
- Back Fork of Elk River – Webster County (4-mile section beginning 2 miles upstream from Webster Springs and extending upstream. Access by county Routes 24 and 24/3).
- Barkers Creek of Guyandotte River – Wyoming County (from the mouth of Barkers Creek upstream to include the entire drainage area for a total of 88 stream miles).
- Blackwater River – Tucker County (3.5-mile section from the county Route 29/1 bridge in Blackwater Falls State Park downstream to the mouth of the North Fork).
- Bluestone River – Summers County (1-mile section from the mouth of Mountain Creek downstream to a stream gauge station within Pipestem State Park).
- Cranberry River – Webster, Pocahontas and Nicholas counties (4.3-mile section from the junction of the North and South forks downstream to the low water bridge at Dogway Fork. Access by foot on National Forest Route 76 from the Cranberry Glades parking area).
- Elkhorn Creek – McDowell County (from the mouth of Elkhorn Creek upstream to include the entire drainage area for a total of 171 stream miles).
- Elk River – Randolph County (2-mile section from the Elk Springs Campground downstream to Rose Run bridge. Access by county Route 49 off state Route 15 about 4 miles west of Valley Head).
- Glade Creek of New River – Raleigh County (3-mile section from the mouth upstream to the National Park Service foot bridge. Access by Glade Creek Road off state Route 41).
- Guyandotte River – Wyoming and Raleigh counties (entire drainage upstream of railroad bridge in Mullens, including all tributaries and totaling 101 miles).
- Middle Fork of Williams River and tributaries – Webster/Pocahontas counties.
- Mill Creek – Randolph County (entire length of Mill Creek and its tributaries within Kumbrabow State Forest).
- North Branch of Potomac River – Grant and Mineral counties (see the current Maryland Fishing Regulations for special regulations on the North Branch of the Potomac and Potomac rivers).
- North Fork of Cherry River – Nicholas County (1.8-mile section extending upstream from Richwood's water supply dam to first state Route 39 bridge. Access by state Route 39).
- North Fork of Cranberry River – Pocahontas County (0.25-mile section from the mouth upstream to the limestone treatment dam. Access by foot on National Forest Route 76).
- North Fork of the South Branch – Pendleton County (0.75-mile section at the mouth of Seneca Creek near Seneca Rocks Visitors Center. Access by county Route 28/3 at junction of state Route 28 and U.S. Route 33 at Seneca Rocks).
- Otter Creek and tributaries – Randolph/Tucker counties.
- Red Creek and tributaries – Tucker County (upstream of county Route 45 bridge).
- Seneca Creek – Pendleton County (0.20-mile section from the mouth extending upstream to the Route 28 bridge):
- Slatyfork section of Elk River – Pocahontas County (4.6-mile section from the junction of Big Spring and Old Field forks downstream to the mouth of Dry Branch, including Props Run and Big Run. Access by foot from county Routes 219/2 on the north and 219/12 on the south).
- South Branch of the Potomac River – Pendleton County (1-mile section beginning 2 miles below U.S. Route 220 at Eagle Rock and extending downstream. Access by county Route 2).
- Tea Creek and tributaries – Pocahontas County (Upstream of Tea Creek Campground).
2 - For waters listed below: (1) Catch-and-release regulations apply: November 1 – May 15. (2) General regulations apply: May 16 – October 31.
- Clear Fork of the Guyandotte River – Wyoming County (1-mile section from the R.D. Bailey WMA manager's residence downstream to the state Route 6 bridge).
- Middle Wheeling Creek – Ohio County (1.2-mile section from just above the upper limits of Middle Wheeling Creek Lake upstream to mouth of Gillespie Run. Access by county Route 39/6).
- Paint Creek - Fayette and Kanawha counties (from Ash Branch upstream 12.5 miles to the mouth of Milburn Creek).
- Shavers Fork River - Randolph County (the 5.5-mile section extending from the mouth of Whitmeadow Run downstream to the mouth of McGee Run).
- Williams River - Pocahontas County (from a signed location approximately 2 miles downstream of Tea Creek extending 2 miles downstream. Access by National Forest Route 86).
3 - For waters listed below: (1) Fishing permitted during daylight hours only. (2) Only artificial flies and streamers may be used or in possession on any of the fly fishing-only streams. (3) Only conventional fly fishing tackle may be used. (4) Open-face and closed-face spinning or spincast reels are prohibited. (5) All fish caught must be returned to water at once. (6) No trout shall be in the angler's possession while on stream sections designated as fly-fishing-only streams. (7) No lure or fly with any scent, oil, or edible enticement added onto, or impregnated into (regardless if the scent is added in the manufacturing process or applied afterward), may be used or possessed on any fly-fishing-only trout stream. (8) Powerbait, Gulp and other manufactured scented baits are considered illegal under this section and may not be used or possessed on catch-and-release streams.
- Dogway Fork of the Cranberry – Webster, Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties (Main stream and all tributaries of Dogway Fork. Access by foot on National Forest Route 78).
- Edwards Run – Hampshire County (upstream of the Edwards Run Pond 1.25 miles to the upstream boundary of Edwards Run WMA).
- Milligan Creek – Greenbrier County (marked area about 1 mile north of U.S. Route 60 from the county Route 60/15 bridge extending downstream about .33-mile to a fence crossing).
- Red Run of Dry Fork – Tucker County (main stream and all tributaries of Red Run. Access by foot from state Route 72 and National Forest Route 13).
- Second Creek – Greenbrier and Monroe counties (marked 2.4-mile section on the Monroe/Greenbrier county line at Rodgers Mill).
- Spring Run – Grant County (marked one mile section along Spring Run Road near Dorcas).
- Thorn Creek – Pendleton County (marked .5-mile section beginning approximately 3 miles above the mouth. Access is by county Route 20).
4 - For waters listed below: daily creel limit = 2 trout (rainbow, golden rainbow, tiger, brown, brook) in any combination.
- Stephens Lake - Raleigh County
5 - Jennings Randolph Lake: See Maryland Fishing Regulations.
Brown trout
The maximum number of individual fish legally harvested per harvester per day. Bag limits are only for properly licensed anglers actively harvesting the species. People who are not actively harvesting or are not properly licensed (if a license is required) may NOT be counted for the purpose of bag limits.
The maximum number of individual fish across an aggregate group of species legally harvested per harvester per day.
WV Wanton Waste
It is illegal for any person to cause through carelessness, neglect or otherwise to let any edible portion of any game fish to go to waste needlessly. The edible portion is the fillet meat from the gill plate to the tail fin. Edible meat does not include bones, sinew, viscera, meat from the head or neck, meat that has been damaged or rendered inedible by method of taking, or meat that is reasonably lost as a result of boning or close trimming of bones.
WV Prohibited Gear
IT IS ILLEGAL TO (1) use a firearm, crossbow, dynamite or any like explosive, or a poisonous mixture placed in the water for the purpose of killing or taking fish, frogs, aquatic turtles or other forms of aquatic life; (2) use any free-floating device (jug fishing) used to deploy a hook and line; (3) fish with more than two lines or poles in an impoundment stocked with trout by the WVDNR from January 1 – May 31; (4) stock fish in the waters of West Virginia. Please do not release unused bait into West Virginia waters; (5) sell any fish for profit; (6) sell or give any fish caught in public waters to a pay pond; (7) improperly dispose of, leave on a bank or in the water fish taken while bow fishing; and (8) fish within 200 feet of Division of Natural Resources personnel who are stocking fish in public waters.
WV Spearfishing
Nongame fish may be taken by spearfishing from July 1 – September 30 during daylight hours only. Gamefish are not permitted to be taken while spear fishing. A complete list of gamefish is on the back cover of the regulations. Spearfishing is prohibited on: (1) Elk River, from Sutton Dam downstream to the U.S. Route 19 bridge at Sutton; (2) New River, from Bluestone Dam downstream to the lower bridge at Hinton.Spearguns may be discharged only beneath the surface of the water.It is illegal to use a bolt having an explosive head or shaft or a bolt dipped in or smeared with poison or other chemicals.A diver may not spearfish in such a manner as to interfere with other anglers.A diver may not spearfish in heavily traveled boat lanes, marked swimming areas or marked waterskiing areas."Diver down flag" shall be a red field of not less than 10 inches x 10 inches dimension with a white diagonal stripe not less than 1.5 inches wide running upper left to lower right. The flag shall be displayed at all times and be affixed to a separate flotation device. No such flag shall be attached to any navigational device or placed so as to obstruct boat traffic. Divers must come up within 100 feet of flag. All powerboats will remain a minimum distance of 100 feet away from the marker flag. The top of the flag shall be at least 3 feet above the surface of the water.Fish taken by spearfishing may not be returned to the water or left on the bank.
WV Trotlines
Trotlines and droplines must be attached to the bank or a tree thereon, must bear an identification tag that is legible and waterproof, and must be attended every 24 hours. The tag must either bear the owner's name and address or his or her WVDNR identification number. Wire or cable lines and hooks with more than one point are prohibited.IT IS ILLEGAL TO:fish with trotlines and droplines in state-managed impoundments except Stonecoal, Hawks Nest, Mt. Storm, Cheat and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes;attach a trotline to public piers and docks or within 50 feet of dam appurtenances;use droplines on the Elk River, Hughes River, Little Kanawha River, Middle Island Creek, and South Fork of Hughes River.
WV Seining + Traps
Game fish may not be seined or trapped. A seine may be used to obtain minnows for use as bait provided the seine is not longer than eight feet nor deeper than four feet. A thrownet may be used provided the radius is no larger than 12 feet and mesh size no larger than 1-inch. Minnow traps may be used provided the openings are not larger than one inch in diameter. A person may have in his possession no more than 50 minnows nor more than a total of 100 aquatic animal life unless obtained from a licensed dealer and a bill of sale is provided. A valid West Virginia fishing license is needed to collect minnows and other aquatic life. Minnow traps must be tagged with a waterproof, legible tag bearing either the owner's name and address or his or her WVDNR identification number. Minnow traps must also be checked once every 24 hours.
WV Ice Fishing
Holes cut for ice fishing must be no larger than 10 inches in diameter. This applies to public waters where ice fishing is allowed.
WV Gigging, Snagging, Snaring
Suckers, carp, fallfish, and creek chubs may be taken by snaring year-round. Nongame fish, certain turtles and eels may be taken by gigging, snagging, or snaring from January 1 – May 15 and from July 15 – December 31, except that snagging and gigging shall be prohibited within 100 feet of all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Locks and Dams and their appurtenances. Snagging of game fish is prohibited.
WV Dipping
Dipping for nongame fish is legal year-round with a valid West Virginia fishing license. A dip net may not exceed 36 square feet in overall area, and its mesh may not be smaller than one-fourth inch.
WV Bow Fishing
Bow fishing for game fish is not permitted. Only common carp, bighead carp, silver carp, and grass carp may be taken by bow year-round; smallmouth buffalo are not carp and cannot be shot year-round. Other nongame fish may be taken by bow during all months of the year except May and June. All anglers must have a valid fishing license in order to fish using a bow. All persons using a bow to fish must observe all applicable fishing regulations. Fish taken by bow fishing may not be returned to the water or left on the bank.IT IS ILLEGAL to use an arrow having an explosive head or shaft or an arrow dipped in or smeared with poison or other chemicals.
No size limit. Possession limit = 12 trout (rainbow, golden rainbow, tiger, brown, brook) in any combination.
SPECIAL AREA REGULATIONS:
1 - For the waters listed below: (1) Fishing permitted during daylight hours only, except that on the three North Branch of the Potomac River Catch-and-Release Trout Fishing Areas fishing is permitted between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. only. (2) Only artificial flies and lures made of metal, wood, feathers, hair, or synthetic material may be used or possessed on catch-and-release trout streams. No lure or fly with any scent, oil, or edible enticement added onto, or impregnated into (regardless if the scent is added in the manufacturing process or applied afterward), may be used or possessed on any catch-and-release trout stream. (3) Multiple hook lures must have barbless hooks (except on the North Branch of the Potomac River Catch & Release areas). (4) Single hook lures may have barbed hooks. (5) All trout caught must be returned to the water at once. (6) No trout shall be in the angler's possession while on stream sections designated as catch-and-release streams. (7) Powerbait, Gulp and other manufactured scented baits are considered illegal under this section and may not be used or possessed on catch-and-release streams.
- Back Fork of Elk River – Webster County (4-mile section beginning 2 miles upstream from Webster Springs and extending upstream. Access by county Routes 24 and 24/3).
- Barkers Creek of Guyandotte River – Wyoming County (from the mouth of Barkers Creek upstream to include the entire drainage area for a total of 88 stream miles).
- Blackwater River – Tucker County (3.5-mile section from the county Route 29/1 bridge in Blackwater Falls State Park downstream to the mouth of the North Fork).
- Bluestone River – Summers County (1-mile section from the mouth of Mountain Creek downstream to a stream gauge station within Pipestem State Park).
- Cranberry River – Webster, Pocahontas and Nicholas counties (4.3-mile section from the junction of the North and South forks downstream to the low water bridge at Dogway Fork. Access by foot on National Forest Route 76 from the Cranberry Glades parking area).
- Elkhorn Creek – McDowell County (from the mouth of Elkhorn Creek upstream to include the entire drainage area for a total of 171 stream miles).
- Elk River – Randolph County (2-mile section from the Elk Springs Campground downstream to Rose Run bridge. Access by county Route 49 off state Route 15 about 4 miles west of Valley Head).
- Glade Creek of New River – Raleigh County (3-mile section from the mouth upstream to the National Park Service foot bridge. Access by Glade Creek Road off state Route 41).
- Guyandotte River – Wyoming and Raleigh counties (entire drainage upstream of railroad bridge in Mullens, including all tributaries and totaling 101 miles).
- Middle Fork of Williams River and tributaries – Webster/Pocahontas counties.
- Mill Creek – Randolph County (entire length of Mill Creek and its tributaries within Kumbrabow State Forest).
- North Branch of Potomac River – Grant and Mineral counties (see the current Maryland Fishing Regulations for special regulations on the North Branch of the Potomac and Potomac rivers).
- North Fork of Cherry River – Nicholas County (1.8-mile section extending upstream from Richwood's water supply dam to first state Route 39 bridge. Access by state Route 39).
- North Fork of Cranberry River – Pocahontas County (0.25-mile section from the mouth upstream to the limestone treatment dam. Access by foot on National Forest Route 76).
- North Fork of the South Branch – Pendleton County (0.75-mile section at the mouth of Seneca Creek near Seneca Rocks Visitors Center. Access by county Route 28/3 at junction of state Route 28 and U.S. Route 33 at Seneca Rocks).
- Otter Creek and tributaries – Randolph/Tucker counties.
- Red Creek and tributaries – Tucker County (upstream of county Route 45 bridge).
- Seneca Creek – Pendleton County (0.20-mile section from the mouth extending upstream to the Route 28 bridge):
- Slatyfork section of Elk River – Pocahontas County (4.6-mile section from the junction of Big Spring and Old Field forks downstream to the mouth of Dry Branch, including Props Run and Big Run. Access by foot from county Routes 219/2 on the north and 219/12 on the south).
- South Branch of the Potomac River – Pendleton County (1-mile section beginning 2 miles below U.S. Route 220 at Eagle Rock and extending downstream. Access by county Route 2).
- Tea Creek and tributaries – Pocahontas County (Upstream of Tea Creek Campground).
2 - For waters listed below: (1) Catch-and-release regulations apply: November 1 – May 15. (2) General regulations apply: May 16 – October 31.
- Clear Fork of the Guyandotte River – Wyoming County (1-mile section from the R.D. Bailey WMA manager's residence downstream to the state Route 6 bridge).
- Middle Wheeling Creek – Ohio County (1.2-mile section from just above the upper limits of Middle Wheeling Creek Lake upstream to mouth of Gillespie Run. Access by county Route 39/6).
- Paint Creek - Fayette and Kanawha counties (from Ash Branch upstream 12.5 miles to the mouth of Milburn Creek).
- Shavers Fork River - Randolph County (the 5.5-mile section extending from the mouth of Whitmeadow Run downstream to the mouth of McGee Run).
- Williams River - Pocahontas County (from a signed location approximately 2 miles downstream of Tea Creek extending 2 miles downstream. Access by National Forest Route 86).
3 - For waters listed below: (1) Fishing permitted during daylight hours only. (2) Only artificial flies and streamers may be used or in possession on any of the fly fishing-only streams. (3) Only conventional fly fishing tackle may be used. (4) Open-face and closed-face spinning or spincast reels are prohibited. (5) All fish caught must be returned to water at once. (6) No trout shall be in the angler's possession while on stream sections designated as fly-fishing-only streams. (7) No lure or fly with any scent, oil, or edible enticement added onto, or impregnated into (regardless if the scent is added in the manufacturing process or applied afterward), may be used or possessed on any fly-fishing-only trout stream. (8) Powerbait, Gulp and other manufactured scented baits are considered illegal under this section and may not be used or possessed on catch-and-release streams.
- Dogway Fork of the Cranberry – Webster, Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties (Main stream and all tributaries of Dogway Fork. Access by foot on National Forest Route 78).
- Edwards Run – Hampshire County (upstream of the Edwards Run Pond 1.25 miles to the upstream boundary of Edwards Run WMA).
- Milligan Creek – Greenbrier County (marked area about 1 mile north of U.S. Route 60 from the county Route 60/15 bridge extending downstream about .33-mile to a fence crossing).
- Red Run of Dry Fork – Tucker County (main stream and all tributaries of Red Run. Access by foot from state Route 72 and National Forest Route 13).
- Second Creek – Greenbrier and Monroe counties (marked 2.4-mile section on the Monroe/Greenbrier county line at Rodgers Mill).
- Spring Run – Grant County (marked one mile section along Spring Run Road near Dorcas).
- Thorn Creek – Pendleton County (marked .5-mile section beginning approximately 3 miles above the mouth. Access is by county Route 20).
4 - For waters listed below: daily creel limit = 2 trout (rainbow, golden rainbow, tiger, brown, brook) in any combination.
- Stephens Lake - Raleigh County
5 - Jennings Randolph Lake: See Maryland Fishing Regulations.
Free trial available