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10 Best Lakes in West Virginia

West Virginia is renowned for its beautiful and rugged landscape of wild mountain country, rolling hills, densely-forested wilderness areas, and fast-running rivers. It sits in the Appalachian region of the USA and is one of the world’s most densely karstic areas.

In addition to its stunning landscape, West Virginia is home to some of the most beautiful lakes that can be found scattered all throughout the state. These lakes offer the chance to enjoy almost any water-related recreational activity you can imagine, including fishing, boating, water-skiing, and even scuba diving. The lakes’ surrounding is filled with breathtaking camping sites, exciting rock climbing and thousands of hiking trails.

These are the 10 best lakes in West Virginia.

1. Summersville Lake

Summersville Lake – Flickr

Summersville Lake is a reservoir that was formed by a rock-fill dam (Summersville Dam) on the Gauley River, south of Summersville in Nicholas County. It is the largest lake in West Virginia, with 2,700 acres (1,100 ha) of water and over 60 miles (97 km) of shoreline at the summer pool water level. Its maximum depth is 327 feet.

There is a small boat under the lake that was intentionally sunk to give divers something to view while scuba diving. Located on the cliffs of Summersville Lake is the only working lighthouse in West Virginia, the Summersville Lake Lighthouse. Cliff Jumping has been banned at Summersville Lake since 2007.

The superb water quality makes it perfect for swimming, fishing and watercraft use of all kinds. Rock climbing in surrounding hills, picnicking on its shoreline and camping are also available.

2. Beech Fork Lake

Beech Fork Lake – Flickr

Beech Fork Lake is a 720-acre (2.9 km2) man-made reservoir located inside a 3,144-acre park in the northwest corner of West Virginia near the city of Lavalette. The Lake as a flood control impoundment was authorized by the Flood Control Act of October 23, 1962. The lake was completed and dedicated in May 1978.

It is a beautiful lake where birdwatchers flock the Lake to spot wood warblers, thrushes, chats, vireos, ovenbirds and cuckoos, amongst other species. The lake offers a beautiful swimming beach that can be found near the dam, boating with engines greater than 10 horsepower being prohibited but kayaks, canoes, and paddle boats are allowed, fishing, hiking, biking and camping. It also features a playground, picnic shelters and a fishing pier.

3. Bluestone Lake

Bluestone Lake – Flickr

Bluestone Lake is a flood control reservoir formed by Bluestone Dam, a concrete gravity dam located just upstream of the confluence of the New and Greenbrier Rivers. The dam was authorized by Presidential Executive Order in 1935 and approved by the U.S. Congress in the Flood Control Acts of 1936 and 1938. Construction of the project was begun in early 1941, suspended in 1944 because of World War II. Work resumed in 1946, and completed for operational purposes in 1949.

The Lake is normally approximately 2,040 acres (8.3 km2) in size, but can grow to over 36 miles (58 km) long at flood control pool, 165 feet (50 m) high and 2,048 feet (624 m) long. Recreational activities within the lake include boating and fishing. There are also camping, zip lining and mountain bike excursions in the facilities that operate in the surrounding area.

4. Cheat Lake

Cheat Lake – Flickr

The lake was formed in 1925, when West Penn Power Co. built a dam across the Cheat River to serve the needs of a hydroelectric generating facility, the 52-megawatt Lake Lynn Power Station. Originally named Lake Lynn The Board on Geographic Names officially decided upon Cheat Lake as the reservoir’s name in 1976.

Cheat Lake is a 13-mile-long (21 km) reservoir on the Cheat River in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It has 3 marinas located towards the river end of the reservoir. They are Edgewater Marina, Cheat Lake Marina, and Sunset Beach Marina. The surface area of the Lake is about 1,730 acres (700 ha), the volume is approximately 128.016 cubic kilometres.

Recreational activities within the lake include boating and fishing.

5. Stonewall Jackson Lake

Stonewall Jackson Lake – Flickr

Stonewall Jackson Lake is a 2,630-acre (10.6 km2) impoundment on the West Fork River in Lewis County, West Virginia. The Lake was authorized and approved by the Flood Control Act of 1966 and completed in 1900. The Lake is named after Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, a native of Lewis County.

The recreation lake provides boaters with a variety of opportunities including pleasure boating, canoeing, water-skiing and fishing. The lake is a popular spot for largemouth bass, crappie, walleye, bluegill, yellow perch, muskellunge, channel catfish, bullheads and carp. In addition, hunting, camping and hiking are also available.

6. East Lynn Lake

East Lynn Lake – Flickr

East Lynn Lake is a 1,005-acre (4 km2) reservoir on the East Fork Twelvepole Creek in Wayne County, West Virginia. The lake was originally authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1938 following the devastating Flood of 1937. Construction occurred about 1969-1970 and in 1971 East Lynn Lake was established as the project’s official name.

The Lake at its maximum length is 12 mi (19 km), maximum width is less than 0.25 mi (400 m), elevated at 662 ft (202 m) at summer pool and 656 feet (200 m) at winter pool with a shoreline of 44 mi (71 km) at summer pool.

Recreational activities within the lake include boating and fishing.

7. Lake Sherwood

Lake Sherwood – Flickr

Lake Sherwood is a 164-acre (0.66 km2) reservoir located within the Lake Sherwood Recreation Area of the Monongahela National Forest in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. It is the largest lake on Monongahela National Forest, spanning 156 acres at an elevation of 2,600.

The recreation area surrounding Lake Sherwood contains camping, hiking and picnicking facilities as well as a non-fossil fuel boating site kayaking, paddleboarding and a beach for swimmers. Fish species in the Lake include tiger muskie, channel catfish, bluegill and largemouth bass.

8. Burnsville Lake

Burnsville Lake – Flickr

Burnsville Lake is both a recreational and flood control reservoir on Little Kanawha River, located southeast of Burnsville in Braxton County, West Virginia. The Lake was authorized by the U.S. Congress in the Flood Control Act of 1938.

The lake is one of the largest lakes in central West Virginia at 968 acres and equipped with three wheelchair-accessible boat ramp and accommodates fishing for bass, trout, walleye, crappie, bluegill, and catfish.

9. Jennings Randolph Lake

Jennings Randolph Lake – Flickr

Jennings Randolph Lake is a reservoir of 952 acres (3.85 km2) located on the North Branch Potomac River in Garrett County, Maryland and Mineral County, West Virginia. The Lake was authorized the by Flood Control Act of October 23, 1962 (Public Law 87-874).

The lake at maximum length is 6.6 miles (10.6 km) and maximum depth 296 feet (90 m) with a surface area of 952 acres (3.85 km2) at an elevation of 1,460 feet (450 m).

Originally named “Bloomington Dam”, it was renamed Jennings Randolph Lake in 1987 to honor the US Senator from West Virginia who was instrumental in this and many other water resource projects across the nation.

Recreational activities within the lake include boating and fishing.

10. Sleepy Creek Lake

Sleepy Creek Lake – Flickr

Sleepy Creek Lake is a 205-acre (0.8 km2) impoundment of the Meadow Branch of Sleepy Creek in Berkeley County in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle. The lake is nestled between two mountain ridges: Sleepy Creek Mountain (1,905 feet [581 m]) and Third Hill Mountain (2,172 feet [662 m]).

The lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet (7.9 m), an elevation of 1,099 feet (335 m) within the 23,000-acre (90 km2)

The lake was opened for fishing in 1964. The fish species found in the lake include largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, northern pike, and channel catfish.