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1,730-acre reservoir near Morgantown. Run-of-river reservoir on the Cheat near Morgantown; strong smallmouth and walleye. The lake tops out around 81 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
On the chart, Cheat Lake draws 1,393 acres inside 19.7 miles of shoreline. The 3.8 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. About 17% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. End to end it runs roughly 4.6 mi, about 3 mi across. The water lies in Monongalia County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Monongahela River, 10 mi northwest of here.
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Fall smallmouth bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Marina / dock area (7 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 15 to 35 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 9 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (78 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 22 ft, rated prime for fall channel catfish. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (22 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (22 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (78 ft) |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Spring crappie concentrate at Marina / dock area, a prime-rated dock line around 7 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Marina / dock area (7 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock / pier line (15 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (78 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, white bass slide up into 2 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 40 ft one. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (78 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Cheat Lake also holds yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer), northern pike (8 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
12 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 78 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for West Virginia waters are set by the West Virginia DNR — and special regulations can apply to Cheat Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official West Virginia fishing regulations →
Cheat Lake is about 81 ft (25 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, crappie, white bass, yellow perch, northern pike on Cheat Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Cheat Lake is regulated by the West Virginia DNR. Check the official West Virginia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Monongahela River 10 mi, WV/PA · Pedlar Dixon Lake 13 mi · Pedlar Mason Lake 13 mi · Fairfax Ponds Lake 14 mi · Youghiogheny River 26 mi, PA · Youghiogheny River Lake 26 mi, MD/PA · Tygart Lake 29 mi · Dents Run Lake 29 mi · Huey Run Lake 31 mi · Deep Creek Lake 32 mi, MD · Curtisville Lake 34 mi · Hinkle Lake 35 mi
See how Cheat Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in West Virginia · best smallmouth bass lakes in West Virginia · best walleye lakes in West Virginia · best crappie lakes in West Virginia
Browse all West Virginia fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.