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Kanawha River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 11, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

West Virginia’s big river: the Kanawha runs hybrid stripers, smallmouth and catfish past Kanawha Falls.

5/5
Excellent. Go now.Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor.
Flow
3,210 cfs
Air / High
72 / 82 F
Wind
SSE 2 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 03193000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
11
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.

5/5Excellent. Go now.Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor.

Kanawha River lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 3,210 cfs, on the rise. Today brings cloud cover, wind SSE around 2 mph, falling pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 82. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the new moon, the solunar majors run 11:32 PM-1:32 AM and 11:32 AM-1:32 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

WalleyeExcellent

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

MuskellungeExcellent

Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel)Excellent

Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 87 F with likely rain: fish ahead of the front. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 12, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

West Virginia requires a fishing licence from age 15, from $24.00 for residents. What a West Virginia licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing smallmouth bass here? Check the size and bag limits with WVDNR before you keep anything.

Water and weather

Live readings from KANAWHA RIVER AT KANAWHA FALLS, WV.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 03193000.

9,84024,08538,3303,210 cfs08/1208/2209/0109/11

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp72 F
High / Low82 / 72 F
WindSSE 2-5 mph
Pressure1014.2 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain84% cloud, 45%
Sunrise / Sunset07:03 / 19:38
MoonNew Moon, 0%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 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 11 · Rain, 82/72 F, wind 6 mph, rain 45%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

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

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Best: Sep-Nov

The fish of ten thousand casts. Weed edges, rock bars and big-water structure. Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

When to come: the Kanawha 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
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 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 Kanawha River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 10

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 79 F, wind to 8 mph.

Wed, Sep 9

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 87 F, wind to 9 mph.

Tue, Sep 8

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 86 F, wind to 5 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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. Hybrid striper, walleye, bass and muskellunge limits per current WVDNR regulations. Consumption advisories apply on parts of the river.

Access

Public ramps through the corridor, the Kanawha Falls area, and city landings at Charleston and Montgomery.

About this water

A 97-mile navigable river from Gauley Bridge to the Ohio at Point Pleasant, West Virginia.

Fishing Kanawha River: the full guide

A working river with real fishing

The Kanawha River forms at Gauley Bridge where the New and Gauley rivers meet and runs about 97 miles to the Ohio at Point Pleasant, passing Charleston on the way. It is a navigable, locked and dammed river with an industrial history, and it holds hybrid striped bass, smallmouth and spotted bass, catfish, walleye, sauger and muskellunge.

Hybrids at the falls

The tailwater below Kanawha Falls is the best-known fishing on the river, drawing hybrid striped bass, walleye and sauger into the turbulence, taken on jigs, spoons and live bait. Spring and fall concentrate fish. Wading the falls area is possible in low water but genuinely dangerous in high: read the flow before stepping in.

Smallmouth, catfish and the pools

Smallmouth hold the rock, riprap and current seams through the river, particularly in the upper reaches near the falls. Blue, channel and flathead catfish grow large in the navigation pools and take cut and live bait in the deep holes. Muskellunge are present in low numbers and are a genuine trophy when they come.

Fayette and Kanawha county logistics

Access is via public ramps through the corridor, the Kanawha Falls area and city landings at Charleston and Montgomery. Consumption advisories apply on parts of the river given the industrial legacy: check current guidance before keeping fish. Barge traffic uses the navigation channel: stay clear.

Common questions

Where is the best fishing?

The tailwater below Kanawha Falls: hybrid stripers, walleye and sauger concentrate in the turbulence.

Can I eat the fish?

Consumption advisories apply on parts of the river given the industrial legacy. Check current guidance first.

Is wading safe at the falls?

Only in low water, and even then with care. High flows there are genuinely dangerous.

Is fishing good at Kanawha River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor.

Nearby waters

New River Gorge18 miSummersville Lake18 miElk River24 miBluestone Lake40 miGreenbrier River42 miWilliams River43 mi
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