West Virginia's lakes, streams, and rivers are home to about 178 total fish species, with about 160 of those being native to our state. Most belong to five main groups: carps and minnows (the largest group), perches, suckers, basses and sunfishes, and catfishes.

The mountains split the state and affect where fish live. Most of our rivers (like the Kanawha and Monongahela) drain west toward the Ohio River. The western side of the state has about 130 native species. The Potomac River flows east to the Chesapeake Bay. This side has fewer species (less than 50).

As one of the oldest rivers in the world, the New River is special. It's home to seven different fish species found nowhere else on Earth, including the candy darter and the New River shiner. Kanawha Falls acts like a natural barrier, separating the fish species above the falls from those below.

Common species include walleye, smallmouth bass, catfish, and various darters (like the banded darter). You'll find trout, creek chubs, and hog suckers in smaller streams. Most lakes in West Virginia are man-made. They are home to fish like the largemouth bass, bluegill, and crappie.

Fish Facts

• Our official state fish is the only native trout and the only native fish that spawns in the fall.

• The American eel matures in our streams and then migrates to the Atlantic Ocean to mate. The tiny babies then float all the way back up our rivers.

• Some fish, like chubs, are called moundbuilding fish because they carry stones in their mouths to build their nests.

• Jawless lampreys are often parasitic.

• Suckers have telescoping mouths designed to "suck" food off the river bottom.