RE: Cheat Lake WV
2012/05/15 02:32:23
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I haven't fished Cheat Lake for a few years now. I caught a few small bass the last time there. When I was a kid, I used to fish one of the backwaters when you were able to get there. It was steep getting into on foot, and only small boats like kayaks or John boats could fit through the large culvert to get there by boat. From what I've read, the only open boat ramp right now is at Sunset Beach. I have heard of articles reporting that the lake is making a comeback for smallmouth. There used to be tons of Largemouth back in the cove I was speaking of, and many catfish. Most of the lakefront property has been bought up, so to get a good day on the lake, boats may be your only option. Be careful near the I-68 Bridge area, the flooding back in the 80's filled much of that area in with 10's of feet of sediment. You can easily run aground if the water level is down.
Remember too, in WV, there is also Tygart Lake, Stonewall Jackson, Summersville Lake, Bluestone, Burnsville etc. I hear they are good fishing, and I believe that Stonewall is a catch and release lake only. A friend of mine used to go there often and always caught many bass. Most of these lakes are a haul from the Pittsburgh area, though, so this would be something to plan ahead for.
Best of luck