With the start of summer

right around the corner,

anglers are more likely to

be out and about trying to

catch their trophy fish.

The Morgantown area

offers a wide range of

opportunities for both in-

dividual anglers and fam-

ilies, according to Dustin

Smith, the fisheries biolo-

gist for the West Virginia

Division of Natural Re-

sources Division One.

“The Morgantown area

offers quite a variety of

opportunities for folks,

ranging from basic fam-

ily fishing opportunities

where you can take kids

to catch a bunch of blue-

gill and bass,” Smith said.

“To areas more suited for

our more seasoned an-

glers.”

Smith added the Mor-

gantown area has a few

small impoundments,

which are small lakes that

contain fish.

These lakes are easier

access for those who want

to fish, Smith said.

“For the most part

[they] offer easy access,

whether it’s shoreline

fishing or boat opportu-

nities,” he said. “Most of

our small impoundments

are for electric motors

only, you’re talking kay-

aks, canoes and jon boats

with a trolling motor.”

Smith noted most of

these lakes offer easy

fishing opportunities for

those who want to catch a

large number of fish.

Two of these lakes are

just outside of Morgan-

town, Smith said.

“Two of the ones close

to Morgantown are Ma-

son Lake and Dixon Lake,

which are out [W.Va.[ 7,”

he said. “They’re really

close to each other; Dixon

Lake is a small lake that’s

only maybe 56 acres, but

there is a fishing trail

around the entire lake so

you can walk the entire

lake and fish.”

Smith added Dixon

Lake is strictly catch-and-

release and it also pro-

hibits the use of barbed

hooks to keep the fish pop-

ulation healthy.

“There’s lots of fish in

there — bass, bluegill and

channel catfish,” he said.

“So it’s a good opportuni-

ty for people to go in and

catch a lot of fish in addi-

tion to being a catch-and-

release lake.”

Dixon Lake’s other

half, Mason Lake, is not

a catch-and-release lake

and is stocked with differ-

ent species of fish by the

DNR.

“There are special reg-

ulations for our bluegill

and sunfish,” Smith said.

“We kind of manage our

bigger sunfish in there.

They grow fast, and

there’s the opportunity to

catch sunfish 10 inches or

bigger. We also stock that

lake with channel cat-

fish.”

Smith added people

who have fished at Mason

Lake for catfish have done

rather well.

One of the other more

elusive fish that anglers

are after is the muskel-

lunge.

Dunkard Creek, locat-

ed alongside W.Va. 7 is a

prime spot to catch musk-

ie in the Morgantown

area, Smith said.

“One of the classic plac-

es is Dunkard Creek out

Route 7,” he said. “The

other big place for muskie

is the Monongahela River.

We stock it with musk-

ie pretty regularly, and

there’s the opportunity to

Ben Powell/The Dominion Post file photos

Clockwise from top left: There are several different fish-

ing spots located within the city limits of Morgantown,

including the Monongahela River; The best times to fish

during the summer are early in the morning and in the

evening; During the summer anglers can catch a wide

range of different fish in the different lakes, rivers and

ponds scattered around Monongalia County.

catch trophy fish there, as

months, Smith said.

well. We get muskie there

“Once we get into these

around 48 to 49 inches.”

hot water temperatures,

Smith added he has got-

fish don’t like to feed as

ten some reports of peo-

much during the day,” he

ple catching muskie out

said. Anglers “are better

of the Monongahela River

off to focus on the early

upwards of 50 inches.

morning hours or the late

Water temperatures

evening hours, when the

play a huge factor in fish-

sun is first coming up or

ing during the summer

right as it begins to set.”