# West Virginia Camping/Fishing???



## shawnyb26 (Mar 17, 2009)

I was just wondering if anyone knows of a good campgound in West Virginia to bring the wife and kids. Looking for something near a river. I would like to get in some trout or smallmouth fishing. I noticed there was a couple of guys that frequent this board that are from or know alot about WV. Thanks for the help!!!


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Well!!!! What area you have in mind?


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## shawnyb26 (Mar 17, 2009)

central wv .........around elk river that area most likely.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

Good luck with trout on the Elk, they're pretty tight-lipped when it comes to being fished. Wiley old suckers, IMO. They'll take a fly, if you're lucky, but I wouldn't count on them.


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## fishmerf (Mar 28, 2008)

Personally I love the Elk. It can be challenging, but there are a ton of fish there and they always seem to look up. Just be prepared to throw some very, very small flies at them.
Check out WVangler.com- if it is still up and running. There are alot of other options not far from the ELk.

Merf


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Clayton You are not fishing the Elk correctly! I fish the elk quite regularly just about every week and I have never had a bad day there even when the water is high and brown! My friend a few weeks ago caught a 32 inch brown. 
Shawnyb26 ,you have picked a great area IMO. Call the Elksprings lodge/fly shop and ask John, Amanda or Dave for availablity but I am sure they have plenty of campsites if you planning on camping. They have some nice cabins also if you dont want to camp out! We are having a campout for another fishing forum on the weekend of May 15-17 so it may be crowded at that time. The fishing has been really good lately and will for the summer as usual!

WWW.elkspringsflyshop.com


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

fishmerf said:


> Personally I love the Elk. It can be challenging, but there are a ton of fish there and they always seem to look up. Just be prepared to throw some very, very small flies at them.
> Check out WVangler.com- if it is still up and running. There are alot of other options not far from the ELk.
> 
> Merf


The 
http://www.tristatesportsmen.com/

is the offical forum for the Elk river. So sign up on the forum and get some great info you need!


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

shawnyb26 said:


> I was just wondering if anyone knows of a good campgound in West Virginia to bring the wife and kids. Looking for something near a river. I would like to get in some trout or smallmouth fishing. I noticed there was a couple of guys that frequent this board that are from or know alot about WV. Thanks for the help!!!


Sounds to me like you would be a perfect fit for Yokum's campground at Seneca Rocks.

http://www.yokum.com/

I stay there quite a bit. If you are tent camping there, it's around $6 per person per night, and there is a bath house with running/hot water, showers, sinks, etc...so you can clean up if you want to do so. That location puts you right by North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac, and not far from South Branch of the Potomac. Both of those get lots of stocked trout through the end of May, and both have very good smallie fishing in the summer. You also go right past Shavers Fork of the Cheat River, Glady Fork of the Cheat, and Laurel Fork of the Cheat, on your way to Seneca via US33. In other words, there is a ton of fishing opportunity in that area, which is why we like it.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

True, but you are getting a lot of crowds there though. You must be going right by me! Fishin pressure is quite high in that area. The last 2 years we had some major low water conditions from lack of rain and it has really put a hurting on them.Elk river area is probably the best in the satate no doubt. There are upper Shavers, Williams, Tygarts, Greenbrier, Elk and Cranberry so it more fishing and this where more of the bigger fish are if go off the beayen path of parking lots.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Flyfish Dog said:


> True, but you are getting a lot of crowds there though. You must be going right by me! Fishin pressure is quite high in that area. The last 2 years we had some major low water conditions from lack of rain and it has really put a hurting on them.Elk river area is probably the best in the satate no doubt. There are upper Shavers, Williams, Tygarts, Greenbrier, Elk and Cranberry so it more fishing and *this where more of the bigger fish are if go off the beayen path of parking lots*.


Bingo. It's amazing what a little hiking can do for you on those pressured streams. Even just being able to wade through river sections in chest high waders gets you access to water a lot of lazy folks won't put in the effort to reach.


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## fishmerf (Mar 28, 2008)

I love Shavers Fork. That is a nice chunck of water. I was there a couple of years ago in June and over a 3 day period I never saw another person. I have fished all of the rivers mentioned and would be happy to fish any of them again. The beauty of WV is that if you are not doing well on one stream there are a ton of other options.

Merf


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

fishmerf said:


> I love Shavers Fork. That is a nice chunck of water. I was there a couple of years ago in June and over a 3 day period I never saw another person. I have fished all of the rivers mentioned and would be happy to fish any of them again. The beauty of WV is that if you are not doing well on one stream there are a ton of other options.
> 
> Merf


Don't go again  I was there a month ago and it was pretty much totally fished out. We parked at the backcountry parking lot thingy and hiked about a mile back to the humongous hole that usually holds 30+ trout... it was EMPTY. The campfires and beer bottles and aluminum foil scraps told the tale, though 

Powerbaiters strike again


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Well Clayton that is getting prevalent lately but still them fish are pretty smart and they are still there. On a given day they are there then the next day they can be hiding. The Shaver recently had a big fish kill du to the exploitations oil and gas drilling by them greedy basturds which is the blame for putting to much toxic garbage in the streams right on top of the low water levels the past 2 summer/fall. Where exactly where you fishing. PM so things stay on level without overfishing later.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

To be honest, I was with a guide, so I don't know exactly where I was fishing  Also, I have a stern policy that I adhere to; if a guide takes em to one of his 'honey holes' to try to find some fish on a bad day, I'll never be back to that spot without him. Professional courtesy I guess, since I hope to be a guide one day and would hate to have customers come along behind me and fish out my spots the day before I come through with a customer!

And to all the masters of the Elk out there... PM me your elk secrets and I'll share everything I know about the Mad here in Ohio  And while I haven't been fishing it for that long, I do know a thing or two more than I've let on on the board 

I didn't NOT catch fish on the elk, I got a gorgeous 15" brown. But that was all


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Your guide name Dave? Next time you get ready to head to the Elk just let me know I can mostly help ya out. Shavers can be tough at time but I only fish the C&R section and headwaters area.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

I only fish C&R wherever I fish  And my guide's name was Gary


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## shawnyb26 (Mar 17, 2009)

Sorry it has taken so long for a post back......had 3 exams this past week. Thanks for all the help its really appreciated.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

woot, go exams. What classes?


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Clayton said:


> I only fish C&R wherever I fish  And my guide's name was Gary


Isn't it amazing how you can fish a stocked stream and be elbow-to-elbow with other fishermen down there...then go to a C&R section of that same river, a mile away, and be all alone?


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

I think I have a pretty good idea whom that is. Yea I dont fish stockers since I just leave it them bucket fisherman. All it takes is a little walking and you can find some nice fishing for sure. It amazing how lazy most people are!


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

TheCream said:


> Isn't it amazing how you can fish a stocked stream and be elbow-to-elbow with other fishermen down there...then go to a C&R section of that same river, a mile away, and be all alone?


Mmhmm  It's excellent. My dad's going back down to fish this weekend but I'm not gonna make it. I've got an exam on tuesday that requires my attention


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

water levels are up on most streams down here right now.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

Flyfish Dog said:


> water levels are up on most streams down here right now.


Would you say unfishably so? He's going in monongahela, around the upper ends / headwaters of most of the rivers. If that's the case tho speak now and I'll save him the drive


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

I always refer to this site to at least check levels on the bigger streams. Very good info on this site: www.americanwhitewater.org 

If you click River Info at the top, then National River Database, then click on WV, it pulls up the levels for the rivers listed. If you open the details on those rivers, you can see a station hydrograph of what the level is and what it has been doing (coming up, going down, staying level).


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