Best bluegill lakes in West Virginia
43 West Virginia waters hold bluegill, 43 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The classic panfish. Shallow cover in summer, deeper weed edges otherwise.
- Summersville Lake — 263 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
- East Lynn Lake — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Tygart Lake — 125 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Burnsville Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
- Beech Fork Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Sutton Lake — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
- R.D. Bailey Lake — 143 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Stonecoal Lake — 84 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Mount Storm Lake — 127 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, BluegillWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Hawks Nest Lake — 62 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Woodrum Lake — 54 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, MuskellungeWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- North Bend Lake — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Upper Mud River Lake — 37 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Sleepy Creek Lake — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Plum Orchard Lake — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Elk Fork Lake — 26 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- O'Brien Lake — 33 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Sherwood — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Rainbow TroutWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Moncove Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Big Ditch Lake — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Tomlinson Run Lake — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Dents Run Lake — 44 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Warden Lake — 19 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, BluegillWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Thomas Park Lake — 17 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Rainbow TroutWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Parker Hollow Lake — 43 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
…plus 18 more West Virginia waters holding bluegill.
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How to use this ranking
The order is a map-planning ranking, not a claim about today's fish population. It favors larger mapped waters and gives survey-backed contours a three-times data-quality boost. Agency population surveys, current regulations, access and recent conditions should make the final decision.
Compare maximum depth across 37,233 lake records · See West Virginia waters with public access data
When to fish bluegill in West Virginia
- Spring 1–6 ft — Bedding colonies on sandy shallow flats — sight-fish the light spots.
- Summer 4–15 ft — Weed edges and dock shade; bigger 'gills hold slightly deeper.
- Fall 6–18 ft — Schools tighten on remaining green weeds and first drops.
- Winter 10–25 ft — Soft-bottom basins with invertebrates; finesse presentations.
Also in West Virginia: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best crappie lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best common carp lakes · best spotted bass lakes
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