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Best muskellunge lakes in West Virginia

22 West Virginia waters list muskellunge (official records or labelled estimates), 19 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The fish of 10,000 casts. Apex predator that shadows weed edges, rock and open-water bait schools.

1. East Lynn Lake — 48 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
2. Tygart Lake — 125 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
3. Burnsville Lake — 35 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
4. Greenbrier River — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge, Rock BassWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
5. Beech Fork Lake — 35 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
6. Stonecoal Lake — 84 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
7. Hawks Nest Lake — 62 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
8. Woodrum Lake — 54 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
9. North Bend Lake — 39 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
10. Upper Mud River Lake — 37 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
11. New River (Gorge) — 20 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, MuskellungeWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 9 public access sites
12. Potomac River (Upper) — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, MuskellungeWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 9 public access sites
13. Charles Fork Lake — 60 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, MuskellungeWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
14. Lake Sherwood — 25 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Rainbow TroutWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
15. Big Ditch Lake — 14 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
16. Teter Creek Lake — 22 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
17. Dunkard Fork Lake — 13 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
18. Pedlar Mason Lake — 35 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Rainbow TroutWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
19. Wallback Lake — 46 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
20. Castleman Run Lake — 17 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
21. Kimsey Run Lake — 22 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Dog Run Lake — 38 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached

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When to fish muskellunge in West Virginia

• Spring 3–12 ft — Post-spawn fish recover in shallow, warming bays — smaller baits, slower work.
• Summer 8–25 ft — Deep weedlines, rock points and open-water humps near bait schools.
• Fall 8–30 ft — The trophy season: big baits worked slow on steep rock and remaining green weeds.
• Winter 15–35 ft — Mostly dormant; deep basins adjacent to structure.

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 white bass & hybrids lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best common carp lakes · best spotted bass lakes

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