Stonecoal Reservoir, West Virginia, USA
Also known as: Stonecoal Lake
Stonecoal Reservoir is a 550-acre lake nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains between the cities of Weston and Buckhannon, West Virginia. The lakes sits within a 3,000-acre Wildlife Management Area and offers excellent boating, fishing, and hunting opportunities. Located in both Lewis and Upshur counties, Stonecoal Reservoir currently holds a number of state records for trophy size fish. The state record muskellunge was caught in…
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Welcome to the ultimate guide to Stonecoal Reservoir! Article topics include:
- All About Stonecoal Reservoir
- Where to Stay
- Vacation Planning Tools
- Things to Do
- Known Fish Species
- Stonecoal Reservoir Map
- Statistics / Weather / Helpful Links
- Stonecoal Reservoir Gifts
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All About Stonecoal Reservoir, WV
Stonecoal Reservoir is a 550-acre lake nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains between the cities of Weston and Buckhannon, West Virginia. The lakes sits within a 3,000-acre Wildlife Management Area and offers excellent boating, fishing, and hunting opportunities.
Located in both Lewis and Upshur counties, Stonecoal Reservoir currently holds a number of state records for trophy size fish. The state record muskellunge was caught in 2003 at 52.7 inches and 38.5 pounds. A shorter, but heavier (49.75 lbs) muskie was also pulled from the lake’s water. Stonecoal Reservoir also holds state records for rainbow trout (11.74 lbs), golden rainbow trout (8.63 lbs) and carp (41.5 lbs). There are two concrete boat ramps, located at both ends of the lake. Motorboats are restricted to 10 horsepower. Once on the lake, anglers have a good chance of catching largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill, and walleye in addition to the record setting species. The lake is stocked regularly. The foot of the Stonecoal Creek Dam, on the western shore, is noted as an excellent fishing hole. Although most fish are safe to eat, certain West Virginia sport fish have been found to have low levels of chemicals and mercury. Refer to the West Virginia Current Fish Advisory link at the bottom of this page for more information.
The Stonecoal Reservoir Wildlife Management Area offers 3,000 acres of hunting and hiking opportunities. Hardwood forests cover 80 percent of the area where hunting opportunities abound for deer, bear, turkey, squirrel, and waterfowl. Camping, swimming and open fires are not permitted within the Wildlife Management Area. This includes Stonecoal Reservoir.
Visitors to Stonecoal Reservoir wishing to camp can enquire at a small private campground located near the headwaters of the lake, or take a short drive west to 3,800-acre state park Stonewall Jackson Lake and State Park. The lake offers 2,650 acres for fishing, boating, and swimming. The Stonewall Jackson Wildlife Management Area encompasses more than 18,000 acres for prime hunting. The park also features camping, hiking, biking, boat launch and rentals. There is also modern resort complete with golf course, restaurant and lake cruises. Every fall the park hosts “The National Hunting and Fishing Days” which offers seminars, classes, children’s actives, vendors, and everything imaginable that concerns hunting and fishing.
East of Stonecoal Reservoir is the town of Buckhannon where you can golf, browse shops for gifts or souvenirs, visit a covered bridge and museum, sit down to a delicious meal, spend the night in a rustic cabin or modern vacation rental, of just enjoy a scenic ride through the West Virginia countryside. Buckhannon is also home to Audra State Park where you can fish the Middle Fork River or enjoy gorgeous hiking trails which run through thousands of acres of heavily wooded lands. Audra State Park also has tent and trailer sites campsites.
If you’re making the Stonecoal Reservoir area your vacation destination or just passing through, you’ll find some top notch fishing and hunting is this quiet, yet beautiful section of the Mountain State.
Things to Do at Stonecoal Reservoir
These are some activities in the Stonecoal Reservoir, WV area visitors can enjoy:
- Vacation Rentals
- Fishing
- Boating
- Swimming
- Golf
- Camping
- Campground
- Cabin Rentals
- Hiking
- Biking
- Hunting
- Wildlife Viewing
- Birding
- State Park
- Museum
What Kind of Fish Are in Stonecoal Reservoir?
Stonecoal Reservoir has been known to have the following fish species:
- Bass
- Black Bass
- Bluegill
- Carp
- Catfish
- Channel Catfish
- Crappie
- Largemouth Bass
- Muskellunge
- Perch
- Pike
- Rainbow Trout
- Smallmouth Bass
- Sunfish
- Trout
- Walleye
Find Places to Stay at Stonecoal Reservoir
If you’re considering a Stonecoal Reservoir lake house rental or hotel, we’ve made it super easy to find the best rates and compare vacation accommodations at a glance. Save time using this interactive map below.
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More Sites to Book a Stonecoal Reservoir Vacation
Our interactive Stonecoal Reservoir lodging map above is an easy tool for comparing VRBO rental homes and nearby hotels with Booking.com, but there could be times when you need to expand your search for different types of accommodations. Here are some other lake lodging partners we recommend:
Stonecoal Reservoir Statistics & Helpful Links
Lake Type: Artificial Reservoir, Dammed
Water Level Control: Allegheny Power
Surface Area: 550 acres
Shoreline Length: 82 miles
Normal Elevation (Full Pond): 1,145 feet
Water Volume: 25,800 acre-feet
Completion Year: 1972
Drainage Area: 19 sq. miles
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