Create lifelong memories with a family fishing adventure in Almost Heaven. West Virginia state parks and forests are the perfect place to teach the kids how to cast a line and reel in the big one while you enjoy some precious family time. These parks are ideal for beginners and seasoned anglers alike. Plan an overnight stay so you can also enjoy a wide range of activities while you soak in the beautiful mountain scenery.

Eastern Panhandle

Two small lakes at Cacapon Resort State Park are stocked with trout each spring, but you can also fish for bass, catfish and bluegill. The park also has an extensive system of mountain biking trails, a championship golf course and horseback riding. The park’s full-service lodge has a spa if you feel like a massage after a long day of hiking and a restaurant for an exceptional meal. Additional accommodations at Cacapon include cozy cabins.

Potomac Highlands

The 8-acre Pendleton Lake at Blackwater Falls State Park is ideal for families with children just learning how to fish. The water is teeming with bass, bluegill, catfish and trout. The lake is near the nature center and is easy to access and has plenty of parking. The Blackwater River also is regularly stocked with trout in the spring and summer. Before you go, download your free WV Waterfall Trail mobile passport. Have fun hiking the trails as you check in at three of the park’s waterfalls. Visit additional waterfalls throughout West Virginia and collect prizes! Blackwater Falls has a full-service lodge as well as campgrounds and cabins.

New River-Greenbrier Valley

Home of the iconic Grist Mill, Babcock State Park offers two fishing options. Glade Creek may require some climbing and maneuvering over rocks, while the 19-acre Boley Lake has an easily accessible shoreline and permits only non-motorized boats on its waters. Anglers here have an excellent opportunity to catch largemouth bass, bluegill, trout, and channel catfish. Three of the park’s waterfalls are on the WV Waterfall Trail map, so make sure you check in on your mobile passport. Babcock has a campground as well as cabin rentals, including the historic cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Just minutes from Beckley, Little Beaver State Park is a perennial family favorite. It has earned the distinction as one of the Top 10 Mom-Approved Places to Fish and Boat in the U.S. due to its play areas, easy parking and picnic facilities, with safe water and boat access. Non-motorized boats are permitted on the 18-acre lake, where anglers can fish year-round for largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, trout, and channel catfish. The Division of Natural Resources also hosts an Annual Kids’ Fishing Derby in June. The park’s campground has camping cabins as well as tent and RV camping.

Northern Panhandle

West Virginia’s northernmost park, Tomlinson Run State Park offers fishing opportunities on the Tomlinson Run stream and on the 23-acre Tomlinson Run Lake. Anglers here can cast a line for bass, catfish, bluegill, and trout. In addition to camper cabins, tent and RV camping, the park also offers unique, nomad-inspired yurts. Built over a wood frame, these circular tents have a framed door and are furnished with a set of bunk beds as well as a cooler, propane stove, lantern and cookware. 

Mid-Ohio Valley

North Bend State Park is a prime spot to fish for bass, crappie, musky, and catfish. The park’s 305-acre lake has a handicap-accessible fishing pier and other fishing access points. Fishing also is available on the North Fork of the Hughes River. Bring your bicycles and enjoy a family bike ride on the adjacent North Bend Rail Trail. 

Plan your Almost Heaven fishing getaway.

Don’t forget your West Virginia fishing license! You can purchase one online at www.wvfish.com. Visit the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources for current fishing regulations and trout stocking schedules for West Virginia state parks and other public waters. Then reserve your state park lodge room, cabin, or campsite today!

Book Now