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Elk River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

West Virginia’s trout-and-bass river: the Elk runs cold below Sutton and warms into smallmouth water downstream.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
348 cfs
Air / High
92 / 92 F
Wind
NW 11 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 03197000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Elk River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 348 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings cloud cover, wind NW around 11 mph, rising pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 92. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 83 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Elk River at Queen Shoals.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 03197000.

1,6964,3296,962348 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp92 F
High / Low92 / 70 F
WindNW 11-19 mph
Pressure1014.0 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 22%
Sunrise / Sunset06:56 / 19:50
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 92/70 F, wind 11 mph, rain 22%

Fair or better. A 11 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Elk River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Elk River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Elk River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 92 F, wind to 7 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 91 F, wind to 5 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 89 F, wind to 6 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

West Virginia requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

West Virginia license plus trout stamp for the trout water. Catch-and-release fly-fishing sections have specific boundaries: check current WVDNR regulations.

Access

Sutton Dam tailwater access, road crossings and public sites downstream through Clay County.

About this water

A 172-mile river through central West Virginia from the mountains to the Kanawha at Charleston.

Fishing Elk River: the full guide

Two rivers in one

The Elk River flows 172 miles through central West Virginia from the mountains to the Kanawha at Charleston, and it changes character along the way. Below Sutton Dam the tailwater runs cold and holds trout, including some wild fish and a well-known catch-and-release section. Further downstream the river warms into one of the state’s better smallmouth fisheries, with musky in the deeper pools.

The tailwater trout

The cold releases below Sutton support rainbow, brown and brook trout, with a catch-and-release fly-fishing section that holds fish through summer when the rest of the state warms. Nymphs, streamers and hatch-matching dries all produce. Flows depend on dam releases: check before wading, since the river can rise quickly and the character changes entirely.

Smallmouth and musky

From Clay downstream the Elk becomes smallmouth water: ledges, riffles and deep pools holding good numbers of bronzebacks, fished by wading and floating with tubes, crankbaits and topwater. Musky hold the deeper, slower pools and are targeted by specialists with big baits in cooler months. West Virginia manages the river for both, and pressure is modest outside the trout section.

Central West Virginia logistics

Access is via road crossings and public sites along the river corridor, with the Sutton Dam area serving the tailwater and numerous bridges downstream. Sutton and Clay are the local towns, with Charleston an hour southwest. The upper Elk above Webster Springs holds native brook trout in its headwaters for anglers willing to explore small water.

Common questions

Where is the trout water?

Below Sutton Dam, where cold releases sustain trout year-round, including a catch-and-release fly-fishing section.

Is the smallmouth fishing good?

Yes: the middle and lower river hold good numbers with modest pressure, fished by wading and floating.

Are there musky?

Yes: the deeper, slower pools hold them, targeted mostly by specialists in the cooler months.

Is fishing good at Elk River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Summersville Lake22 miNew River Gorge40 miCranberry River43 miStonewall Jackson Lake48 miGreenbrier River59 miBluestone Lake61 mi
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