← West Virginia fishing maps

Best flathead catfish lakes in West Virginia

5 West Virginia waters hold flathead catfish, 3 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. Solitary giant that lairs in log jams and deep holes by day and prowls at night — live bait only.

1. Tygart Lake — 125 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
2. Burnsville Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
3. Ohio River — Greenup Pool — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
4. Hawks Nest Lake — 62 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
5. New River (Gorge) — 20 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge

When to fish flathead catfish in West Virginia

• Spring 5–20 ft — Pre-spawn fish feed hard near wood cover and hole edges.
• Summer 8–30 ft — Day = log-jam lairs and deep holes. Night = shallow flats and bar edges with big live bait.
• Fall 10–35 ft — Fish concentrate near wintering holes — the year's best big-fish window.
• Winter 20–45 ft — Stacked and sluggish in the deepest holes.

Also in West Virginia: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best spotted bass lakes

Flathead Catfish elsewhere: Minnesota · Iowa · Indiana · Nebraska · Ohio · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Arizona · Mississippi · Texas · Illinois · Kansas · Oklahoma · Tennessee · Missouri · Georgia · South Carolina