Share your catch
US

Kanawha River Fishing Report

Updated Mon, Nov 9, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

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

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
4,940 cfs
Air / High
44 / 62 F
Wind
SE 0 mph

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

Satellite view
Monday
9
November 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.

Kanawha River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 4,940 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind SE around 0 mph, steady pressure near 1018 hPa and a high of 62. Water sits around 51 F for the season (estimated). With the new moon, the solunar majors run 11:06 PM-1:06 AM and 11:26 AM-1:26 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeGood

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

MuskellungeGood

This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

Smallmouth bassFair

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Catfish (blue, channel)Fair

In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 68 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Tue, Nov 10, 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. The season dates for West Virginia, read off the agency, are on the West Virginia seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from KANAWHA RIVER AT KANAWHA FALLS, WV.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 03193000.

6,47713,06519,6534,940 cfs10/1010/2010/3011/09

Today’s flow against 149 years of November 9

At 4,940 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 03193000 (KANAWHA RIVER AT KANAWHA FALLS, WV) is at the 43rd percentile for the date: normal. In half of the 149 years of approved record the daily mean on November 9 was below 5,630 cfs; the highest was 64,200 cfs and the lowest 1,290 cfs.

p10 2,230median 5,630p90 18,300

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 03193000; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp44 F
High / Low62 / 43 F
WindSE 0-8 mph
Pressure1018.2 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:59 / 17:17
MoonNew Moon, 0%
Water temp (gauge)58 F USGS
Water temp (seasonal)~51 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Kanawha River this week

The best day on Kanawha River this week looks like Saturday Nov 14, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Nov 14 — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Nov 9 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
11:06 PM-1:06 AM and 11:26 AM-1:26 PM
Minor period
7:08 AM-8:08 AM
Sun
06:59 to 17:17
Moon
New Moon, 0% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 9 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

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: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Fished from late spring into late fall where seasons allow

Muskellunge are solitary, fish-eating ambush predators of the pike family, holding in weed beds and other cover in lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes, upper Mississippi and Ohio basins. This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

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 51 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovNov, ~51 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
Sun, Nov 8

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 65 F, wind to 7 mph.

Sat, Nov 7

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 50 F, wind to 8 mph.

Fri, Nov 6

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 68 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used if we need to ask you about your report. No mailing list, no spam.

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

Nearby waters

New River Gorge18 miSummersville Lake18 miElk River24 miBluestone Lake39 miGreenbrier River42 miWilliams River43 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 03193000 — KANAWHA RIVER AT KANAWHA FALLS, WV
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-11-09 at 12:45 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 38.1382, -81.2143 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written guide was drafted with AI assistance. Unlike our newer pages, it does not yet list the official pages its facts were checked against: that audit is under way, and anything it cannot verify will be taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.