← West Virginia fishing maps

Best smallmouth bass lakes in West Virginia

15 West Virginia waters hold smallmouth bass, 10 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. Current- and rock-loving fighter. Lives around gravel, boulders and hard-bottom structure.

1. Summersville Lake — 263 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
2. Tygart Lake — 125 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
3. Burnsville Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
4. Greenbrier River — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge, Rock Bass
5. Sutton Lake — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
6. Cheat Lake — 81 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
7. Ohio River — Greenup Pool — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
8. Stonecoal Lake — 84 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
9. Mount Storm Lake — 127 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Bluegill
10. South Branch Potomac — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Rock Bass
11. Hawks Nest Lake — 62 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
12. Lake Stephens — 68 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
13. North Bend Lake — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
14. New River (Gorge) — 20 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge
15. Potomac River (Upper) — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge

When to fish smallmouth bass in West Virginia

• Spring 3–12 ft — Gravel and rock flats near deep water; spawning happens on hard bottom.
• Summer 10–30 ft — Offshore rock humps and deep points; smallmouth suspend near bait.
• Fall 8–25 ft — Feeding hard for winter — long tapering points and rocky drops.
• Winter 20–45 ft — Deep, vertical presentations near rocky wintering holes.

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

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