Fishing Report For Beech Fork Lake, WV

Current Fishing Report: Fair

Hybrid striped bass here tend to run in sizeable schools. The use of new fish-locating electronics is helping anglers catch more hybrid stripers. Once located, hybrid striped bass are being caught by trolling, casting or jigging, depending on depth.

WINTER. Now that Winter is in full swing, hybrid stripers hang out in deeper water and feed close to the bottom, often 30 feet deep or deeper. Warm afternoons occasionally draw stripers shallower, so look for them around the 20-foot range as they feed on roaming schools of bait. In Winter, it is important to locate schools of bait, then look for wipers schooling below the bait. Fish finders, and forward facing sonar, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Fish are being caught while trolling or drift fishing. Spoons, swimbaits, blade baits, crankbaits, live bait and cut bait are all effective this time of year. Due to slower metabolism, anglers are triggering more strikes by making slower presentations.

SPRING. When water temperatures rise into the mid 60's, it's the ideal time for the hybrid stripers to spawn. The lake has plenty of hybrids averaging 3 to 5 pounds, with an occasional 8 pound fish being caught. In Spring, work the upper end of the lake, especially if there is inflowing water. Popular areas to explore in Fall include Millers Fork Arm. If they spawn, this is where they will lay eggs in the flowing water. Wipers feed in 6 to 18 feet of water in the warming water. Look for deeper holes in the river channels, as they are a good holding place for hybrid stripers.

SUMMER. In Summer, these wipers typically hang out in 20 to 30 feet of water, staying close to schools of bait. Sometimes during the heat of the day they move tight to the bottom. Morning often draws hybrid stripers to much shallower water, so look for them around the 10-foot range as they feed on shallow, roaming schools of baitfish. Fishing is good around the dam, as well as channel breaks, humps, main lake points, and drop-offs in the Beech Fork and Millers Fork arms. Being successful at fishing for stripers in Summer success determined by the ability to locate schools of bait, and the wolf packs of wipers are likely to be nearby. Fish finders, and sonar electronics, are a big help. Nice wipers are being caught by casting, trolling or drift fishing. Spoons, blade baits, crankbaits, live bait and cut bait are all effective here.

FALL. In early Fall, baitfish and hybrid stripers return to shallow water preferring areas as shallow as 10 feet deep on points and flats, to 20 feet deep along channel edges. Some of the bigger fish may be slightly deeper than the average fish in the large schools. During Fall, hybrids are very aggressive when feeding. Most wipers concentrate from mid lake to the incoming-river end of the lake. Expect to find schooling activity around creek mouths, flats, main channel points, and humps. Early in the day wipers chase bait to the surface and feed aggressively, making this an excellent time for topwater action. Mid day they move into around 10 feet of water. Later in Fall wipers are generally found in 25 to 30 feet of water. Look for structure nearby deeper sections in channels, and fish them thoroughly. Most any lure that resembles shad will catch wipers at this time of year.

Current Fishing Report: Poor To Fair

Bass fishing is currently experiencing major changes in the way anglers are approaching the sport. The expanded use of high-tech fish finders is giving anglers, who fish from a boat, a distinct advantage. The fishing hasn't really changed, but the catch rate has increased considerably. The advent of new lures and equipment has improved success for anglers fishing from the bank as well. Savvy anglers, who study bass patterns, continue to catch nice fish, with or without the new gadgets.

WINTER. The cold of Winter has isolated largemouth around deeper structure, flats, points and creek channels. Water temperatures are currently in the low 40's, and bass can be found on the bottom, or suspending from 15 to 25 feet deep, occasionally shallower on warm, sunny days. Often, some of the larger bass will isolate away from schools in 5 or so feet deeper water. They are currently being caught around the main lake basin and in the Millers Fork channel. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring. Slow presentations with drop shots, jigs, finesse worms, or lipless crankbaits are often the key to getting bites, just before, during and after, ice fishing.

SPRING. Once water temperatures rise into the low 60's, largemouth will move from deep wintering holes, to shallower water near spawning areas. Anglers report good topwater action from mid Spring through Summer, especially early in the morning, and on cloudy days. Vibrating jigs, crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits typically get bites just away from the shoreline. At this time they are feeding aggressively in about 8 to 20 feet of water, and preparing for the spawn. Once water warms into the mid to high 60's, they will move into 3 to 8 feet of water, and create nests, then lay their eggs. Immediately afterwards, females move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move to slightly deeper water, around 15 to 20 feet deep, and hang around submerged timber or structure. Deep-diving crankbaits, vibrating jigs, drop shots, plastic worms, jigs, spoons, and swimbaits catch bass during this period.

SUMMER. Water temperatures will warm considerably in Summer. Bass will feed shallow, early and late in the day, where they are typically caught in 5 to 15 feet of water, on topwater lures, square-bill crankbaits, spinnerbaits and a variety of other lures. During Summer, keep an eye on the thermocline to determine the maximum depth to fish, as there is very little oxygen below the thermocline. Largemouth bass here feed on shad, herring, small sunfish and crawfish. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, channel edges, and ledges 15 to 30 feet deep. Drop shots, and wacky-rigged stick worms often catch finicky bass when the bite is slow. Some of the best reports typically come from anglers fishing around main lake points, wood cover and docks.

FALL. When Fall arrives, bass here will follow schools of baitfish into coves and shallow bays where crankbaits, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits have been successful in prior years. In early Fall, anglers typically have success in 8 to 15 feet of water, around points and shallow flats leading to deeper water. As deeper water cools, bait and bass move out to ledges, channel edges, points and humps. Here flutter spoons are often the ideal bait in 15 to 30 feet of water. Some of the larger bass will seclude themselves away from the school, often in slightly deeper water.

Current Fishing Report: Fair

Although forward-facing sonar and other high-tech fish finders were designed for bass fishing, many catfish anglers, who fish from a boat, are now using them to locate channel catfish. With this, they are now catching more catfish by focusing on productive water. The catch rate has increased considerably, and anglers are picking their targets to catch the bigger cats. New baits, line and rigging methods have also improved success for bank fishing enthusiasts. Savvy anglers, who study catfish life cycle and patterns, are still managing to catch nice fish, with or without these new tools.

WINTER. This cold, Winter weather has channel catfish gathering in deep holes. They are virtually dormant, especially now that the water has cooled into the 40's. They hole up in pockets, along river channels, ledges, and structure in the basin areas from 15 to 30 feet deep. Here, they await the warmer water of Spring. Slow presentations, especially cut bait, can still entice strikes. Often during mid day, through the afternoon, anglers are catching them a bit shallower on the same structure.

SPRING. In Spring, when water temperatures rise into the high 40's, channel catfish start their migration into coves, and up into the river. The upper lake where Twelvepole Creek enters, is a great area in Spring. Early in the season, look for them 10 to 20 feet deep. They hold here, and feed aggressively, around relatively shallow cover until water warms into the mid 70's, at which time they begin the spawn process in 10 to 18 feet of water. Following the spawn, they move out toward the basin in 15 to 25 feet of water. A good area, year round is the rip rap around the marina and the dam. Anglers are using slip sinkers, 3-way rigs, or Carolina rigs to get, and keep, the bait close to the bottom. Later in Spring focus on shallower flats, during late evening and into the night.

SUMMER. In Summer, slow-moving water, at the river end of the lake may draw catfish to feed. Otherwise they are scattering, locating cover in slightly cooler water. Reports indicate the most successful anglers are using nightcrawlers, cut bait, minnows or shrimp. Most channel cats hold in 15 to 30 feet during the day, and 8 to 12 feet during the night. Fishing from late in the day until midnight produces some of the best results, as this is their prime feeding time.

FALL. Fall is one of the better times of year for catching channel catfish. Early in Fall they cruise the shallows in 10 to 15 feet of water, in search of food. Later, in the season they migrate away from the shallows and current, to moderately deep flats and channel edges on the main body of the lake. They can typically be found from 10 to 25 feet deep. Fishing for channel catfish is often productive around any kind of structure. Road beds, stumps, wood, creek channels and rocky points are all good places to begin. In-flowing water, like Millers Fork tributary, is popular in Fall. Drift fishing or slow-trolling baits along mid-depth structure is popular and generally productive. Use a slip sinker or Carolina rig setup, with cut bait, nightcrawlers, shrimp or prepared baits. They typically remain in these areas and feed aggressively in preparation for Winter.