Williams River
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Trout water; 17 stockings on the 2026 record, spread January to October. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.
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 12 | Trout | completed | ||
| Mar 7 | Trout | completed | ||
| Mar 14 | Trout | completed | ||
| Mar 20 | Trout x 2 sections | completed | ||
| Mar 25 | Trout | completed | ||
| Apr 2 | Trout Gold Rush | completed | ||
| Apr 7 | Trout | completed | ||
| Apr 16 | Trout x 2 sections | completed | ||
| Apr 25 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 1 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 7 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 16 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 21 | Trout | completed | ||
| May 29 | Trout | completed | ||
| Oct 21 | Trout | completed |
When to fish Williams River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:59-11:59 am and 10:22 pm-12:22 am | 4:15-5:15 am and 4:32-5:32 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:45 am-12:45 pm | 5:22-6:22 am and 4:57-5:57 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)
- Flow 194% 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)
| 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 |
| Light spinning rod | 5 to 6.5 ft light or ultralight; short rods cast under branches |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cranberry River | 5.2 mi | Oct 20 |
| South Fork Cranberry River | 7.8 mi | Apr 18 |
| Summit Lake | 8.4 mi | Oct 20 |
| Back Fork of Elk River | 8.8 mi | May 13 |
| Handley Pond (Children & Class Q) | 9.5 mi | Jun 24 |
Follow West Virginia stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule