Trout Fishing in West Virginia
Trout fishing in West Virginia is a great way to relax and enjoy time in the great outdoors. It’s a great way to bring home a tasty supper, too, but studies in recent years indicate anglers in West Virginia and many other states prefer trout fishing as sport rather than a way to feed the family.
Fly anglers are increasingly more prone to enjoy the catch and release form of fishing instead of keeping what is caught. By releasing caught fish back into the water, native habitats remain intact and healthy. Many of today’s anglers say they prefer the recreation of trout fishing rather than the value of the catch
anyway.
This joy of fishing has led to many fishing derbies, tournaments, and records that cry to be broken. Some very impressive catches have come from West Virginia waters:
The largest brook trout landed in West Virginia weighed in at 7.64 pounds and was 22.25 inches long. This trophy was caught in 2004 at Shavers Fork.
West Virginia’s largest brown trout caught to date was a 32-inch beauty, weighing 16 pounds. It was taken from the South Branch of the Potomac River in 1968.
The Brushy Fork Lake is the site of the largest catch on record for golden trout in West Virginia. This record-breaker, caught in 1998, weighed 9.31 pounds and measured 26.4 inches in length.
In 2005, a lucky angler landed a 30.5-inch long rainbow trout from a West Virginia pond. This prize catch weighed 15.75 pounds.
The Greenbrier River was the source of the largest tiger trout caught thus far in West Virginia. Caught in 1986, this beauty measured 26 inches in length and weighed 6.68 pounds.
There are no size limits for trout fishing in West Virginia although size limits may be an issue elsewhere. It’s always a wise idea to check with local laws before casting the first line. There are number limits, though. An angler is allowed up to 6 trout a day in West Virginia and must maintain a possession limit of 12 fish.
