Blackwater River
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Trout water; 17 stockings on the 2026 record, spread January to October, heaviest in May. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live, water temperature included.
West Virginia · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 5 | Trout | completed | ||
| Feb 12 | Trout | completed | ||
| Feb 25 | Trout | completed | ||
| Mar 6 | Trout | completed | ||
| Mar 12 | Trout | completed | ||
| Mar 17 | Trout | completed | ||
| Mar 25 | Trout | completed | ||
| Apr 1 | Trout Gold Rush | completed | ||
| Apr 9 | Trout | completed | ||
| Apr 14 | Trout | completed | ||
| Apr 23 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 4 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 6 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 13 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 20 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 26 | Trout | completed | ||
| Oct 21 | Trout | completed |
When to fish Blackwater River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:55-11:55 am and 10:17 pm-12:17 am | 4:12-5:12 am and 4:28-5:28 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:41 am-12:41 pm | 5:19-6:19 am and 4:53-5:53 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).
What the record actually says
- Stocked 2 days ago (Oct 21)
- Water 49 °F
- Flow 273% of the seasonal median
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · West Virginia fishing forecast
Gear for this water
Stocked within the last three weeks: fish are still bunched near the release points and keyed on familiar smells.
For the trout (trout stocked 17 times here in 2026, moving water)
| Drifted bait | single salmon egg or half a crawler under light split shot, rolled along the bottom |
| Small jerkbaits | floating minnows in the 2 to 3 inch class for the deeper bends |
| Waders or wet-wading boots | stocked stream fish stack in the obvious pools; getting to the next one is the edge |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Pendleton Lake | 3.5 mi | Oct 21 |
| Thomas Park Lake | 3.6 mi | Apr 8 |
| Horseshoe Run | 9.1 mi | May 15 |
| Dry Fork (Randolph) | 13 mi | May 29 |
| North Fork Lunice Creek | 14 mi | May 11 |
Follow West Virginia stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule