Trout Fishing the Elk River

Looking for places to trout fish in West Virginia? Try the Elk River - the longest river (172 miles long) in West Virginia which flows entirely within the state's boundaries. The Elk River is a tributary of the Kanawha River.

You'll find rainbow, brown, and brook trout in the Elk River - and some pretty large ones at that! Although many of these trout are stocked - there are plenty of wild brown and native brook trout in the river as well.

The upper portion of the Elk River (above Webster Springs) offers the best trout fishing. This time of year, brown and brook trout will be starting to show their spawning colors.

Jack Bell (writer for West Virginia Game and Fish Magazine) shared the following fishing tips in a recent article.

• Spin-fishermen would do well to lean on Rooster Tails, small Mepps Aglia spinners, spinner- fly tandem rigs, Blue Fox Vibrax spinners and small jointed Rapala minnow lures.
  

• Flyfishermen should look to streamers like Woolly Buggers in olive, black, and yellow matuka-style patterns, Clouser minnows and Mickey Finns.
  

• Nymph fishermen will want to lean on patterns such as the Prince, Pheasant Tail, olive and grey Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear, hellgrammite and red squirrel nymphs. You will want to have these patterns in both beadhead and the normal non-beadhead configuration.
  

• Dry-fly anglers will want to use ant and beetle patterns, small grasshoppers, stimulators, elk hair caddis and midge patterns.

In addition to the Upper Elk River (above Webster Springs) - Cranberry, South Branch of the Potomac near Franklin, North Fork of the South Branch, and Shavers Fork of Cheat and Williams rivers are other favorite trout fishing spots in West Virginia.