Lake Moomaw Depth Map & Fishing Spots (VA)

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Lake depth chart

Lake Moomaw, VA

Max 150 ft

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Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~5 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Lake Moomaw

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Lake Moomaw on the board.

Fishing Lake Moomaw: what the data says

2,530-acre lake near Covington. A deep, cold, clear Jackson River mountain reservoir in the Alleghenies. Stocked trout, smallmouth and trophy chain pickerel. The lake tops out around 150 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.

The drawn water covers 2,455 acres wrapped in 41.2 miles of bank, with 2 islands in the mix. The 5.9 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. About 48% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 8.4 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.5 mi at the beam. Bath County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lake Sherwood, is 4 mi to the northwest.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Lake Moomaw

Spring smallmouth bass on Lake Moomaw hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. The chart's best answer is Creek inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 8 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Creek inflow (8 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (38 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (38 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	open water	Blade bait, Hair jig

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Moomaw

Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	open water	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Rainbow Trout fishing at Lake Moomaw

Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Creek inflow (8 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Creek inflow (8 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (38 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Creek inflow (8 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Brown Trout fishing at Lake Moomaw

Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and early morning. Throw a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Creek inflow (8 ft)	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	25 to 60 ft	night & dawn	Main-lake point (38 ft)	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	5 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Creek inflow (8 ft)	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	5 to 35 ft	dawn	Creek inflow (8 ft)	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

Walleye fishing at Lake Moomaw

Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	Creek inflow (8 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	15 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (38 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	12 to 40 ft	dusk & night	Main-lake point (38 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	20 to 40 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (38 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Moomaw

Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Put Creek inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 8 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Creek inflow (8 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Creek inflow (8 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Deep basin (128 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (128 ft)

Lake Moomaw also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

The chart marks 10 structure features on Lake Moomaw; the deepest is Deep basin at about 128 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 128 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 38 ft
Secondary point: point, around 38 ft
Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
Hughes Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 0 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 0 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 0 ft

Lake Moomaw fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Virginia waters are set by the Virginia DWR — and special regulations can apply to Lake Moomaw specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Virginia fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Moomaw?

Lake Moomaw is about 150 ft (46 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in Lake Moomaw?

Anglers target smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, brown trout, walleye, channel catfish, crappie on Lake Moomaw.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Moomaw?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake Moomaw?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Lake Moomaw?

Fishing on Lake Moomaw is regulated by the Virginia DWR. Check the official Virginia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Lake Sherwood 4 mi, WV · Lake A. Willis Robertson 22 mi · Greenbrier River 23 mi, WV · Moncove Lake 33 mi, WV · Carvins Cove Reservoir 41 mi · Elkwater Fork Lake 43 mi, WV · Big Ditch Lake 45 mi, WV · Brushy Fork Lake 48 mi, WV · Summersville Lake 53 mi, WV · Spruce Knob Lake 54 mi, WV · New River (Gorge) 57 mi, WV · Brandywine Lake 59 mi, WV

See how Lake Moomaw stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Virginia · best smallmouth bass lakes in Virginia · best walleye lakes in Virginia · best crappie lakes in Virginia

Browse all Virginia fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.