Muskie Fishing in West Virginia

By Jeff Knapp

West Virginia hosts several, excellent-flowing muskie waters. Here’s a look at four of the best in this state.

BUCKHANNON RIVER

Muskie waters tend to be divided into two categories: “action waters,” where the fish are more numerous, but tend to run smaller, and “size waters,” where you will work harder for a strike, but the chances for a trophy fish are better. Some waters are a blend of the two.
According to West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Biologist Kevin Yokum, the Buckhannon River falls into the “action” category. “This isn’t to say you can’t catch a fish over 40 inches in the Buckhannon, but the odds are much better that you will catch smaller ones,” he said. “But, it’s not uncommon to catch several muskies in the same day.” As any muskie angler will attest, multiple muskie days are a rare treat indeed, even if the fish are on the short side.
Like all of West Virginia’s muskie creeks and rivers, the Buckhannon is characterized as being of low gradient, with long, slow moving pools. Yokum said theBuckhannon is also rich with submerged timber, which serves as ideal ambush cover for muskies.
A well-known catch-and-release area is located on the Buckhannon River. According to the DNR, this 6.5-mile section runs from the City of Buckhannon’s water supply dam upstream to the first riffle. Included in this area is the section of French Creek, from its mouth to the first riffle. The entire stream section is commonly referred to as the “Buckhannon Pool.” All muskies caught within the parameters of this special regulations area must be released immediately. Though the catch-and-release section is popular with muskie anglers, Yokum said good muskie fishing could be realized throughout much of the river.
The Buckhannon River is currently the subject of a tagging study aimed at determining, among other items, muskie movements in the river.
Public launch sites on the Buckhannon River can be found at Carollton, Hall and Rangoon in Barbour County, and Buckhannon, Pringle Tree, the FEMA Site and the Trust Joint McMillian Plant in Upshur County.
The Buckhannon River is only suitable for small boats, as is true for most of the West Virginia flowing muskie waters.

MIDDLE ISLAND CREEK

Middle Island Creek is another muskie fishery where big muskies take a back seat to numbers. Like the Buckhannon River, Middle Island Creek also contains a lengthy catch-and-release section that is popular with anglers from Tyler County and surrounding areas.
The DNR lists the boundaries of the muskie-managed waters as a “6 mile section beginning at the State Route 18 bridge near Centerville, and continuing downstream to the low water bridge near the Jug Wildlife Management Area. Included in this area are sections of Indian Creek and McElroy Creek from their mouth to their first riffle.”
The same regulations enforce on the Buckhannon River project water also apply to Middle Island Creek. Also like the Buckhannon, Yokum said good muskie populations are
present in much of Middle Island Creek’s 50-some-mile length. Whereas Buckhannon features lots of sunken wood, muskie habitat on Middle Island Creek is features more of the long, deep pools and eddies. Forage fish include suckers and chubs, soft-rayed fish that muskies prefer as a food source. This same type of forage exists in all of the waters that will be featured here.
Public access sites on Middle Island Creek in Tyler County include Blue, Buffalo Run, Joseph’s Mill, Jug, Pratt, Purgatory Run, Sellers Road and Tyler County Farm.

LITTLE KANAWHA RIVER

Numbers waters are great for the shear action they provide, but all muskie anglers like the chance for a big fish upon occasion. Not that a 30-inch legal isn’t big, just that the sheer strength of a 40-inch-plus is something that needs to be enjoyed from time to time. Kevin Yokum said the Little Kanawha River contains a fairly high muskie population while at the same time providing a better chance at a fish likely to test your tackle and fish-fighting skill.
“The Little Kanawha is a tremendously lengthy river,” noted Yokum. “The muskie water runs from the tailwaters of Burnsville Dam the whole way to the Ohio River.” The Little Kanawha River can be characterized as having long, stretchy pools. Muskies are present in many miles of water. The river picks up size in Wirt County near the town of Creston. From there, it flows through Wirt, then Wood County, emptying into the Ohio at Parkersburg.
In Wirt County, access sites can be found at Creston, Palestine, Sanoma Bridge, Sportsman’s Park, Spring Valley and Wells Lock. Wood County accesses include Corning Park and Leachtown.
The Little Kanawha – between the Burnsville Dam tailwaters and Creston — also flows through portions of Gilmer and Calhoun counties.

ELK RIVER

Taking the sport a step further for the angler looking for a true trophy, a fish over 45 inches with the potential for the magical 50 inch mark being a possibility, Yokum said the Elk River just may be the place to go. “You will need to put in your time and effort, though,” noted Yokum.
Like the Little Kanawha, the portion of the Elk River holding muskies is sizable, stretching from the Sutton Dam tailwaters to the area above its merger with the Kanawha River. The best muskie habitat is considered to be the river portion within Braxton and Clay counties. Muskies are not found above Sutton Dam, where the habitat is much different than that found downstream. The water quality is somewhat deteriorated in the lower portion of the river.
As with the previously mentioned waters, this section of the Elk contains the slow, deep pools conducive to stream-bred muskies. Plenty of wood is found in the form of submerged cover and shoreline laydowns.
Clay County access sites include Camp Associates Sites No. 1 and No. 2, Duck, King Shoals, Mary Chilton Roadside Park, Procious and Queen Shoals. In Braxton County, small boats can be launched at the Frametown Bridge and the Sutton Dam tailwaters. Additional information on West Virginia’s angling opportunities can be found by logging on to the DNR’s website at www.wvdnr.gov.