Pay lakes in West Virginia
West Virginia has 23 pay lakes; 6 stock catfish.
Find a pay lake in West Virginia by name or town
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Pay lakes by city in West Virginia
Do you need a fishing license at a pay lake in West Virginia?
Usually not. Anglers fishing a DNR-licensed commercial fishing preserve (pay lake) in West Virginia do not need the statewide fishing license; unlicensed private ponds follow normal rules (only resident landowner/family/tenant exempt on their own land).
West Virginia licenses pay lakes through its License for Privately Owned Commercial Fishing Preserve, W. Va. Code § 20-2-53 ($25/year), run by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR). The license rule depends on the lake holding that state license, so ask the lake if you are unsure.
"A person fishing in such lake shall not be required to possess the same statewide fishing license as would be required of him if he were fishing in any of the public waters of this state."
Source: W. Va. Code § 20-2-53, checked November 2026. Compare every state on our pay lake license rules page.
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