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Fishing Dunkard Fork Lake: what the data says
49-acre lake near Moundsville. The lake tops out around 13 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 follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Dunkard Fork Lake
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 3 to 13 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 3 to 13 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 13 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Bluegill fishing at Dunkard Fork Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Dunkard Fork Lake
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 4 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 13 ft that scores prime in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday |
Muskellunge fishing at Dunkard Fork Lake
Start shallow in spring: muskellunge sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 13 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dusk | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Large rubber, crawled slow |
White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Dunkard Fork Lake
Spring white bass & hybrids on Dunkard Fork Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 13 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 13 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 4 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Dunkard Fork Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 13 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 13 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 7 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 5 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Dunkard Fork Lake?
Dunkard Fork Lake is about 13 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Dunkard Fork Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, rainbow trout, muskellunge, white bass & hybrids on Dunkard Fork Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Dunkard Fork Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Dunkard Fork Lake?
For rainbow trout, 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.
Nearby waters
Bear Rock Lakes · Middle Wheeling Creek Lake · Castleman Run Lake · Ohio River - Pike Island Pool · Dents Run Lake · Curtisville Lake
See how Dunkard Fork Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in West Virginia · best bluegill lakes in West Virginia · best channel catfish lakes in West Virginia · best rainbow trout lakes in West Virginia
Browse all West Virginia fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.