There’s hardly a lake, reservoir, pond or puddle in West Virginia that doesn’t have a resident crappie population. But a handful of lakes are a cut above the rest.
You’ll find both white crappies and black crappies in Mountain State waters, with the latter being more common. Both species are known to congregate around brush and other woody cover, and both readily slurp up small minnows and jigs.
Spring is the best season to fish for crappies in West Virginia. Crappies move toward shallow water to spawn from March into April as water temperatures approach 65 degrees. As the old saying goes, when the redbuds are blooming, the crappies are biting.
Bluestone Lake
Surrounded by the rolling hills of southern West Virginia’s Summers County, 2,040-acre Bluestone Lake is arguably the best crappie lake in the state. It’s certainly one of the most consistent.
Crappie populations are usually prone to wild boom-and-bust cycles, but Bluestone’s population tends to stay fairly stable, with excellent numbers of crappies that usually include at least a few fish that stretch a tape measure to 16 inches.
Bluestone Lake is an impoundment of the New River, with its dam located right below where the Bluestone River empties into it. Bluestone State Park, nestled in the crook of land where the Bluestone Arm meets the main body of the lake, is an excellent place to start.
You’ll find a good amount of brush and wood here, as well as healthy weed beds and shallow, mud-bottomed flats that are quick to warm and tend to attract crappies early in the spring.
April is the peak crappie spawning month here, but Bluestone Lake is also a place where it pays to start early in the season. The fishing can be hit-or-miss in March with fickle weather, but this lake warms up faster than most because its waters flow in from the south.
The Bluestone River, which gives the lake its name, scored an honorable mention on our list of West Virginia’s best trout streams. Check the link to learn more about top trout fishing spots.
Cheat Lake
A reservoir built on the Cheat River, Cheat Lake spans 1,730 acres in northern West Virginia near Morgantown. Its dam is mere feet from the Pennsylvania state line. Crappies are abundant, and you can expect to catch some nice ones too.
As in most lakes, spring is prime time. Crappies file into this long, S-shaped lake’s creeks and coves in April to spawn. The twin coves east of the dam at the north end of the lake are prime spots, with riprap-lined banks and great access for shore fishing.
Cheat Lake has quite a bit of timber, which often attracts crappies during seasons outside of the spawn. But as the lake has aged, a lot of its timber has deteriorated, and it doesn’t easily register on sonar.
There’s also plenty of healthy weed growth in the lake, primarily eelgrass and curly pondweed. Emerald shiners and gizzard shad are the main forage.
This is a lake that also offers good summer crappie fishing. Some local anglers troll for crappies starting in May, using downsized crankbaits like Strike King Series 3 and Bandit 300 Series cranks. By mid-summer, focus your efforts right above the thermocline, about 15 feet down.
Cheat Lake is also an excellent bass fishing lake.
Stonewall Jackson Lake
Stonewall Jackson Lake is located just off I-79 in north-central West Virginia. This 2,630-acre impoundment of the West Fork River is widely ranked as one of the top bass lakes in West Virginia, but its crappie population also deserves attention.
The size of the fish you catch here may vary depending on the strength of any given year class, but crappies are seldom any less than abundant. They shift toward shallow coves—of which there are many—in fits and starts during the month of March.
Early in the season, focus on creek mouths before working your way deeper into coves in April. There’s good summer crappie fishing here, too, with fish bunching up along the edges of the main channel, usually around 20-foot depths.
Crappies are widespread in Stonewall Jackson Lake. In addition to the main arm formed by the West Fork, the lake has several major creek arms that harbor crappies. Keep an eye out for the numerous no-wake zones on the lake, which typically indicate shallow, stump-filled water.
The Skin Creek arm of the lake has some great crappie water, with bank access and a public launch at the Vandalia Boat Ramp within Stonewall Jackson Lake WMA.
Jigs tipped with small minnows are the bait of choice.
Looking for a bigger challenge? Stonewall Jackson is one of the best places in West Virginia to catch a trophy-sized musky.
Ohio River Backwaters
Crappies may not be the first fish that comes to mind when one thinks of the Ohio River, but this mighty waterway that forms West Virginia’s northwestern border harbors an abundance of crappies.
The key to finding Ohio River crappies is to look away from the main river, instead focusing on sheltered backwaters, sloughs and creeks. The Sandy Creek Backwater in Washington is one such area, but there are many others.
Crappies generally favor places with little or no current, so any place that’s sheltered from the main river’s flow is worth a look. In spring, when water levels are high and brushy backwaters are inundated with water just as crappies spawn, the fishing can be phenomenal.
Bank-facing sides of islands are often good areas too, especially if you see laydowns and other woody cover. A minnow suspended beneath a float is the ideal bait, and it’s likely to produce a mixed catch of crappie, bass and catfish.
Stonecoal Lake
A fairly small reservoir of 550 acres, Stonecoal Lake is right next to Stonewall Jackson Lake. It is often overlooked in favor of its neighbor, which is great news for crappie anglers.
Stonecoal Lake supports an excellent crappie population along with great numbers of perch and walleye. It’s common to catch a few of each in early spring using minnows and jigs.
Spring is the best season for crappies, but fall fishing can also be very good.
Surrounded by the densely wooded Stonecoal Lake WMA, the reservoir’s banks are mostly lined with trees right down to the water line. The DNR has also felled trees along the banks and sunk Christmas trees to create crappie habitat in key areas around the lake.
The coves near the dam on the southwest side of the lake are great areas to fish for crappies, with bank access and a boat launch on Stonecoal Road. The uppermost end of the lake around Bushlick Run and the Pringle Fork are good, too.
Stonecoal Lake has a 10hp limit on outboard motors, which keeps all the big bass boats off the water and makes this a great spot to fish from a kayak or other small craft.
Tygart Lake
A flood control reservoir on the Tygart River in northern West Virginia, Tygart Lake spans 1,750 acres and stretches about 10 miles from end to end. It’s a deep lake with clear water, a well-defined river channel and numerous smaller creeks and coves.
Crappie fishing is especially good here in springtime, but anglers can catch this species year-round. Tygart Lake provides abundant crappie habitat, so you have a lot of options.
The banks of Tygart Lake are irregular and in many places quite steep and rocky. Crappies commonly relate to obvious structure in this reservoir, and the DNR has helped by placing Christmas tree clusters and other fish attractors along the bank.
The cove formed by Pleasant Creek on the south side of the lake is a good option, with launching available at the nearby Pleasant Creek Boat Ramp. Tygart Lake State Park provides camping, boat launch facilities, and bank access on the opposite side of the lake.
Tygart Lake and the tailwater below its dam also offer some of West Virginia’s favorite walleye fishing.
Burnsville Lake
Central West Virginia’s Burnsville Lake is an 896-acre reservoir on the Little Kanawha River. An excellent bass lake that’s also known for producing multiple state record muskellunge, it harbors an underrated crappie fishery as well.
Burnsville Lake has a long, narrow shape and quite a few small coves and creeks extending off the main lake. These are prime spring crappie areas. It’s an excellent lake for canoe and kayak fishing, especially if you want to really get back into all the little spawning coves.
The DNR has sunk quite a few fish attractors throughout Burnsville Lake. There’s also a lot of brush and timber around the shoreline when the lake is at full pool, and fishing the banks is a good bet in April.
The only docks on Burnsville Lake are at the marina near the dam. The rest of the shoreline is undeveloped and managed as part of Burnsville Lake WMA. There’s a campground at the upper end of the reservoir and several shoreline hiking trails.
Crappie Magnet and Slab Magnet jigs are popular on Burnsville Lake, and bright colors tend to fare best in the often-stained waters here. Blade baits are also effective. Expect excellent numbers of 9- to 11-inch crappies.
Catch More Crappie
Now that you know the best places to find them, learn the top crappie fishing tactics in our easy how-to guide.