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Summersville Lake Fishing Report

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

West Virginia’s clearest water: Summersville holds smallmouth and walleye under cliffs that draw divers and climbers.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Gauge
7.56 ft
Air / High
89 / 89 F
Wind
WNW 7 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 03189600, 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.

Summersville Lake stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. Today brings cloud cover, wind WNW around 7 mph, rising pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 89. 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 81 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 Gauley River below Summersville Dam.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp89 F
High / Low89 / 69 F
WindWNW 7-14 mph
Pressure1014.1 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 15%
Sunrise / Sunset06:56 / 19:49
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 · Showers, 89/69 F, wind 21 mph, rain 15%

Fair or better. A 21 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Summersville 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 Summersville 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 Summersville Lake 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. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 89 F, wind to 5 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 88 F, wind to 5 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 86 F, wind to 5 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. Bass, walleye and trout limits per current WVDNR regulations; trout stamp for the tailwater.

Access

Salmon Run, Battle Run and Long Point ramps; Gauley River tailwater access below the dam.

About this water

A 2,700-acre Corps reservoir on the Gauley River, Nicholas County, West Virginia, known for exceptional water clarity.

Fishing Summersville Lake: the full guide

The little Bahamas

Summersville Lake covers 2,700 acres in the Gauley River valley, and its water clarity: often 20 feet or more: earned it the nickname the Little Bahamas of the East. Sandstone cliffs ring the shoreline, drawing climbers and scuba divers alongside anglers. The fishery leans clear-water: smallmouth bass on the rock, walleye in the deeper structure, plus largemouth, crappie, catfish and stocked trout in the tailwater below.

Clear-water bass

Smallmouth hold the rocky points, cliff bases and submerged structure: light line, natural colors and long casts are essential in water this clear. Tubes, drop-shots and jerkbaits produce, with dawn and dusk far better than midday. Largemouth relate to the few brushy coves and the timber in the upper end. Spring and fall are the strongest seasons.

Walleye and the tailwater

Walleye were stocked and hold on the deeper points and channel structure: trolling crankbaits and jigging at 20-40 feet produces, best in low light. Below Summersville Dam, the Gauley River is world-famous whitewater in fall release season and a trout fishery in the cooler months, with stocked rainbows and browns in the tailwater. Check release schedules: they change the river completely.

Nicholas County logistics

Ramps at Salmon Run, Battle Run and Long Point serve the lake, with a campground and marina. Water levels drop substantially for winter pool, exposing structure worth scouting. Summer weekends bring divers, climbers and boaters: early mornings belong to anglers. Summersville town covers supplies, and the New River Gorge is an hour south.

Common questions

How clear is the water?

Often 20 feet or more of visibility: exceptional for an eastern reservoir, which is why divers use it and why bass fishing is technical.

When is the fishing best?

Spring and fall, with dawn and dusk far more productive than bright midday in such clear water.

What about the Gauley below?

World-class whitewater during fall releases and a stocked trout fishery in cooler months: check release schedules before planning.

Is fishing good at Summersville 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

Elk River22 miNew River Gorge24 miCranberry River27 miGreenbrier River37 miBluestone Lake41 miLake Moomaw55 mi
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