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Stonewall Jackson Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 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 early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Flow
96 cfs
Air / High
77 / 91 F
Wind
W 8 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 03058500, 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 early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Stonewall Jackson Lake stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. The river is running 96 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings cloud cover, wind W around 8 mph, rising pressure near 1015 hPa and a high of 91. Water sits around 84 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: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassFair

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 82 F with likely rain: fish ahead of the front. 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 West Fork River at Butcherville (below).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 03058500.

3428181,29496 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp77 F
High / Low91 / 70 F
WindW 8-19 mph
Pressure1014.5 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain96% cloud, 27%
Sunrise / Sunset06:53 / 19:48
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 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 · Storms, 91/70 F, wind 9 mph, rain 27%

Fair or better. A 9 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

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: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

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. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

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 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 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, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 91 F, wind to 9 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 90 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 87 F, wind to 7 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. 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 early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Nearby waters

Tygart Valley River31 miTygart Lake34 miElk River48 miCranberry River51 miSummersville Lake57 miCheat Lake61 mi
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