Every West Virginia State Fishing Record

Articles on Premier Angler may contain affiliate links. Please see our Affiliate Disclosure for more information.

Almost Heaven…

Wild and wonderful…

The Mountain State…

Call it what you will, but West Virginia is, without question, one of the most scenic states in the nation.

Thousands and square miles of Appalachian wonderful and enough small towns and backroads to travel for a lifetime. What’s not to love?

For anglers looking to etch their names in the record books, West Virginia also offers a unique opportunity to make history…

Double the Fun

In most states, the state record fish for each species in record exclusively by weight. In West Virginia, however, things are a bit different…

Anglers can, in fact, capture the West Virginia state fishing record by recording either the heaviest fish of any particular species or the longest.

As you will see on the list, there are plenty of times when one fish meets both criteria. That said, in the case of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, muskie, walleye, and several others, there are two distinct West Virginia state fishing records listed.

Where Are Best Fishing Spots in West Virginia?

West Virginia may not have the abundance of lakes found in neighboring states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, but there are still some great fishing spots.

48 of West Virginia’s 55 counties house a public fishing lake. Statewide, there over 120 public fishing lakes and ponds. Add in a few hundred rivers, creeks, and private ponds and there is no shortage of great fishing spots.

According to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, however, some of the best fishing spots in West Virginia include:

• Largemouth Bass: Burnsville Lake, Cheat Lake, Sutton Lake, R.D. Bailey Lake, Stonewall Jackson Lake, Elk Fork Lake, and the backwater of the Ohio River
• Smallmouth Bass: Summerville Lake, Tygart Lake, New River, Shenandoah River, Potomac River (south branch and mainstream), and the Elk River
• Muskie: Middle Island Creek, Kanawha River, Buckhannon River, Sandy Creek, and Dunkard Creek

You can also visit the link below to see a list of the top eight fishing destinations in the state.

The Best Fishing in West Virginia: Our Top 8 Spots

List of Every West Virginia State Fishing Record

Species	Year	Total Length (Inches)	Total Weight (Pounds)	Location
Bass
Largemouth	1994	24.8	12.28	Pond (Grant County)
	2001	25.75	9.62	Dog Run Lake
Smallmouth	1971	24.25	9.75	South Branch
	1976	25.5	7.5	New River
Rock	1964	13.8	1.75	Big Sandy Creek
Spotted	1988	19	3.82	RD Bailey Lake
	2000	19	4.77	RD Bailey Lake
Striped Bass	2000	37.68	29.56	Bluestone Lake
Hybrid Striped Bass	1985	31.5	16.75	Kanawha River
	2000	32.1	14	Kanawha River
White Bass	1985	20	4.56	New River
Bluegill	1964	13.75	2.25	Pond (Fayette County)
	1986	11.7	2.75	Pond (Randolph County)
Bowfin	1994	32.25	7.54	Pond (Berkeley County)
	1994	29.38	7.66	Pond (Berkeley County)
Buffalo	1976	41	38	Little Kanawha River
Carp
Common	1988	41	41.5	Stonecoal Lake
	1998	39.3	47	Pond (Preston County)
Grass	2005	50.75	71.69	Warden Lake
	2020	54.75	67.4	Warden Lake
Catfish
Blue	2019	49.84	58.38	Ohio River
	2016	44.88	59.74	Ohio River
Bullhead	1977	22.75	6.1	Tygart Lake Headwaters
Channel	1993	38	33.38	Patterson Creek
	1994	38.5	21.25	Lee Creek
Flathead	1956	52	70	Little Kanawha River
Chain Pickerel	2001	27.75	6.19	Tuckahoe Lake
	2019	27.87	N/A	Upper Deckers Creek
Crappie	1971	19.75	4.05	Meathouse Fork
Eel	1977	44	7.25	Bunker Hill Quarry
	1983	44.25	6.27	Elk River
Fallfish	1970	21.25	3.5	North Fork of South Branch
Freshwater Drum	1954	37	25	Little Kanawha River
	1989	35.5	27	South Fork of Hughes
Longnose Gar	1993	50.5	19.08	Kanawha River
	2003	50.63	16.75	Fish Creek
Goldeye	1983	18.5	3	Ohio River
Muskellunge	1997	50.37	49.75	Stonecoal Lake
	2021	54	39.6	Burnsville Lake
Northern Pike	1989	42.6	22.06	Dog Run Lake
Sauger	1985	23	4.75	Ohio River
Saugeye	2000	26	7.25	Ohio River
	2000	27.1	6.13	East Lynn Lake
Skip Jack	1991	18.6	2.38	Ohio River
	2002	18.4	2.61	Kanawha River
Tiger Musky	1994	49.25	36.5	Mountwood Lake
Trout
Brook	1981	23.5	4.78	Lost River
	2004	22.25	7.64	Shavers Fork of Cheat River
Brown	1968	32	16	South Branch
Golden Rainbow	1987	27.5	8.63	Stonecoal Lake
	1998	26.4	9.31	Brushy Fork Lake
Rainbow	1993	31.7	11.74	Stonecoal Lake
Tiger	1986	26	6.68	Greenbrier River
Walleye	1976	35	15	Kanawha Falls
	2003	32	17.82	Kanawha River
Yellow Perch	1971	15	1.75	Pond (Monongalia County)

Did you notice any records that need updated? Kindly let us know in the comments below.