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2,700-acre reservoir near Summersville. West Virginia's largest lake. Deep, clear water and a renowned spotted-bass fishery. The lake tops out around 263 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The outline encloses 2,455 acres, worked by 58.7 miles of shoreline, broken up by an island. A development index of 8.5 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. About 35% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 7.1 mi with a 4.3-mi widest point. It sits in Nicholas County. If the bite dies, Hawks Nest Lake is 17 mi to the southwest.
Spring puts spotted bass in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 15 to 40 ft, wintering in 25 to 50 ft. Spring spotted bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 5 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A drop shot over brush or an underspin + fluke (schoolers) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (11 ft) | Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers) |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (11 ft) | Walking topwater, Underspin |
| Winter | 25 to 50 ft | midday | Break off the point (147 ft) | Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 20 to 45 ft one. Start at Secondary point. It's a point holding about 11 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (11 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (11 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (147 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 5 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Marina / dock area (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (16 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (147 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 35 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. Fall walleye concentrate at Secondary point, a prime-rated point around 11 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (16 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Secondary point (11 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (262 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Feeding flat: a feeding flat around 30 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Gauley River inflow (19 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Gauley River inflow (19 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (262 ft) |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Marina / dock area. It's a dock line holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Marina / dock area (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (16 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (16 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (262 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Summersville Lake also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), rainbow trout (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
10 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 262 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 Summersville Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official West Virginia fishing regulations →
Summersville Lake is about 263 ft (80 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 spotted bass, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout on Summersville Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for spotted bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For spotted 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 Summersville 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.
Hawks Nest Lake 17 mi · Big Ditch Lake 19 mi · New River (Gorge) 24 mi · Wallback Lake 27 mi · Plum Orchard Lake 29 mi · Sutton Lake 31 mi · Greenbrier River 33 mi · Lake Stephens 39 mi · Burnsville Lake 41 mi · Charles Fork Lake 44 mi · Woodrum Lake 47 mi · Elkwater Fork Lake 49 mi
See how Summersville 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.