Watoga Lake
Trout and channel catfish water; 8 stockings on the 2026 record.
West Virginia · see it on the national map
8
stockings 2026
Jun 24
last stocked
11
acres (NHD)
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Trout
Channel catfish
Stocking record 2026
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 4 | Trout | completed | ||
| Feb 18 | Trout | completed | ||
| Mar 5 | Trout | completed | ||
| Mar 21 | Trout | completed | ||
| Apr 17 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 2 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 16 | Trout | completed | ||
| Jun 24 | Channel catfish | completed |
Gear for this water
It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.
For the trout (trout stocked 7 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Slip bobber and jig | 1/32 oz marabou jig or waxworm suspended at cruising depth |
| Ultralight spinning rod | 6 to 7 ft ultralight, 4 lb line; long casts from the bank |
| Dough bait rigs | floating dough bait 18 inches above a small egg sinker; hatchery fish know the smell |
For the catfish (channel catfish stocked 1 time here in 2026, stillwater)
| Medium-heavy rod | 7 ft medium-heavy, 15 to 20 lb line, sturdy reel |
| Circle hooks on a slip-sinker rig | 2/0 to 5/0 circles on a Carolina rig; let them load up |
| Cut bait and prepared baits | fresh cut shad or chicken liver; scent is everything |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hills Creek | 8.2 mi | May 13 |
| Back Creek VA | 14 mi | May 27 |
| South Fork Cranberry River | 14 mi | Apr 18 |
| Seneca Lake | 17 mi | Jun 24 |
| Summit Lake | 19 mi | May 29 |
Records from West Virginia DNR
(official page). Placement from USGS GNIS
and the National Hydrography Dataset. Schedules change without notice.
Seasons, limits, and licenses:
West Virginia fishing
regulations.