Share your catch
US

Stonewall Jackson Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Central West Virginia’s muskie lake: Stonewall Jackson holds toothy fish and bass in a state park setting.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
365 cfs
Air / High
62 / 62 F
Wind
NE 4 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 03058000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

Stonewall Jackson Lake sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The release below the dam is running 365 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind NE around 4 mph, steady pressure near 1025 hPa and a high of 62. Water sits around 74 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:56 AM-11:56 AM and 10:25 PM-12:25 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Largemouth bassGood

The main feeding season after the spawn: work moving baits along weed edges, points and wood, and follow up with a soft plastic where a fish swirls.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Spawning season from late May into summer: Iowa DNR suggests drifting bait under a float along riprap and snags where males guard nests in cavities.

CrappieFair

Early in this band crappie are spawning in protected coves; afterward they move to docks, brush piles and standing timber near deeper water.

White bassFair

Summer and early fall schooling season over open water; follow the shad, and try live bait on the bottom at night.

Tomorrow: Similar at 62 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 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 largemouth 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 WEST FORK R BL STONEWALL JACKSON DAM NR WESTON, WV (outflow).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 03058000.

292610929365 cfs09/2310/0210/1410/23

Today’s flow against 62 years of October 23

At 365 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 03058000 (WEST FORK R BL STONEWALL JACKSON DAM NR WESTON, WV (outflow)) is at the 95th percentile for the date: much above normal. In half of the 62 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 35 cfs; the highest was 593 cfs and the lowest 0 cfs.

p10 3median 35p90 121

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 03058000; 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 temp62 F
High / Low62 / 33 F
WindNE 4-6 mph
Pressure1024.7 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset07:39 / 18:32
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (gauge)64 F USGS
Water temp (seasonal)~74 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 Stonewall Jackson Lake this week

The best day on Stonewall Jackson Lake this week looks like Saturday Oct 24, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Oct 24 — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
9:56 AM-11:56 AM and 10:25 PM-12:25 AM
Minor period
4:18 AM-5:18 AM
Sun
07:39 to 18:32
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 6 mph
Rain chance
0%

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

Species guide

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

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. The main feeding season after the spawn: work moving baits along weed edges, points and wood, and follow up with a soft plastic where a fish swirls.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: the spring spawn; summer around docks, brush and the thermocline

Two slab-sided panfish, the white crappie and the black crappie, that gather around submerged timber, brush piles, docks and bridge pilings in lakes, reservoirs and slow river backwaters. Texas Parks and Wildlife counts crappie as the state's most popular panfish. Early in this band crappie are spawning in protected coves; afterward they move to docks, brush piles and standing timber near deeper water.

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. Spawning season from late May into summer: Iowa DNR suggests drifting bait under a float along riprap and snags where males guard nests in cavities.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: the spring run up the tributaries, then summer surface schools

A silvery temperate bass of rivers and large reservoirs, also called sand bass, that schools in open water after shad and runs up tributaries to spawn in early spring. Summer and early fall schooling season over open water; follow the shad, and try live bait on the bottom at night.

When to come: the Stonewall Jackson Lake 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
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 74 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~74 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 Stonewall Jackson Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Largemouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 63 F, wind to 6 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Largemouth bass led the card at good. High of 66 F, wind to 5 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Largemouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 65 F, wind to 6 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. Muskellunge minimum length and bass limits per current WVDNR regulations.

Access

Stonewall Resort State Park marina and ramps; additional public ramps on the upper arms.

About this water

A 2,650-acre Corps reservoir on the West Fork River, Lewis County, West Virginia, impounded 1988.

Fishing Stonewall Jackson Lake: the full guide

A young reservoir

Stonewall Jackson Lake covers 2,650 acres on the West Fork River in Lewis County, impounded in 1988 and still holding substantial standing timber in its upper arms. West Virginia manages it as a premier muskellunge fishery, with largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill filling out the card. The state park and resort on its shore make it one of the more comfortable fishing destinations in the state.

Muskie water

Muskellunge are the draw: the standing timber, weed edges and points hold fish, worked with bucktails, large rubber and glide baits. Fall is prime, with October and November producing the biggest fish, and spring offering a second window. West Virginia stocks the lake and manages for size, and fish past forty inches are a realistic target for anglers willing to put in the casts.

Bass and panfish

Largemouth relate to the timber and brush: flipping jigs and Texas rigs to the wood is the reliable pattern, with spinnerbaits along the edges. Crappie stack in the same timber, providing excellent spring fishing and steady winter action in the deeper brush. Catfish work the flats and channel, and bluegill fill the shallows in early summer.

State park logistics

Stonewall Resort State Park provides ramps, a lodge, marina, campground and golf course, making it a straightforward destination for anglers traveling with family. Additional public ramps serve the upper arms. Interstate 79 runs alongside, putting Clarksburg and Weston minutes away. Standing timber in the upper lake demands careful navigation.

Common questions

Is the muskie fishery real?

Yes: stocked and managed for size, with fish past forty inches taken each season, best in October and November.

Where do the crappie hold?

In the standing timber of the upper arms: excellent in spring and productive in the deeper brush through winter.

Is it family-friendly?

Very: the state park resort offers lodging, marina and amenities that make it easy to combine fishing with a family trip.

Is fishing good at Stonewall Jackson Lake 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

Tygart Valley River31 miTygart Lake34 miWilliams River42 miElk River48 miCranberry River51 miSummersville Lake57 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 03058000 — WEST FORK R BL STONEWALL JACKSON DAM NR WESTON, WV (outflow)
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 19:15 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 38.9800, -80.5000 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.