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Tygart Valley River Fishing Report

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

Above the lake: the Tygart Valley River runs smallmouth, trout and muskie through central West Virginia.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
120 cfs
Air / High
83 / 86 F
Wind
NNW 12 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 03051000, 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.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Tygart Valley River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The river is running 120 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings cloud cover, wind NNW around 12 mph, rising pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 86. Water sits around 73 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: 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: Cooler at 77 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 Tygart Valley River at Belington.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 03051000.

1,4533,9386,422120 cfs08/0508/1608/2609/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp83 F
High / Low86 / 70 F
WindNNW 12-17 mph
Pressure1013.5 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 41%
Sunrise / Sunset06:51 / 19:45
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
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 4 · Storms, 86/70 F, wind 12 mph, rain 41%

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 Tygart Valley 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 Tygart Valley 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 Tygart Valley River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

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 7 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

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 8 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

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 84 F, wind to 9 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 plus trout stamp for stocked trout. Bass and muskie limits per current WVDNR regulations.

Access

Road crossings and public land along the river; Valley Falls State Park below the lake.

About this water

A 135-mile river through central West Virginia to the Monongahela, passing through Tygart Lake, Barbour and Taylor counties.

Fishing Tygart Valley River: the full guide

A river before the reservoir

The Tygart Valley River rises in the highlands of central West Virginia and runs about 135 miles north to the Monongahela, passing through Tygart Lake on the way. The river above the lake is a genuinely different fishery from the reservoir: stocked trout in the upper reaches, smallmouth bass through the middle river, and muskellunge in the deeper pools.

Smallmouth and muskie

The middle river through Barbour and Taylor counties is classic Appalachian smallmouth water: ledges, riffles and deeper pools worked with tubes, small crankbaits and topwater by wading and floating. Muskellunge hold the deep, slow pools and are targeted by specialists with large baits, particularly in the cooler months.

Trout upstream

West Virginia stocks trout in the upper river above Elkins, providing a spring and fall fishery in cold mountain water. The Tygart also runs through Valley Falls State Park below the lake, where the river drops over ledges in a scenic gorge that holds smallmouth and provides good bank access.

Barbour County logistics

Access is via road crossings, state parks and public land along the river, with Belington, Philippi and Grafton the local towns. Flows vary with rain and, below the lake, with dam releases: check the gauge before floating. The river sees modest pressure compared with the reservoir, which is much of its appeal.

Common questions

How is it different from Tygart Lake?

Entirely: the river holds stream smallmouth, stocked trout upstream and muskie in the deep pools, rather than reservoir fishing.

Where do I find smallmouth?

The middle river through Barbour and Taylor counties: ledges, riffles and pools fished by wading or floating.

Is Valley Falls worth a stop?

Yes: the river drops through a scenic gorge in the state park, with good bank access and smallmouth in the pools.

Is fishing good at Tygart Valley River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Tygart Lake20 miStonewall Jackson Lake31 miDeep Creek Lake47 miCheat Lake47 miCranberry River59 miYoughiogheny River63 mi
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