Watoga Lake is the centerpiece of Watoga State Park – the largest state park in West Virginia – an 11-acre mountain lake set deep in the forests of Pocahontas County near the Greenbrier River. Small, scenic and quiet, it’s a paddle-and-fish lake at the heart of a sprawling park full of cabins, trails and old-growth woods, in one of the most beautiful corners of the Allegheny highlands.
This guide covers Watoga Lake: the fishing, the state park, and access. It’s part of our growing West Virginia Lakes Database.
Watoga Lake at a glance
- Surface area: ~11 acres in Watoga State Park (WV’s largest state park)
- Location: Pocahontas County, eastern West Virginia (near Marlinton & Hillsboro)
- Top fish: largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, stocked trout
Fishing Watoga Lake
The little lake is stocked and fun to fish: largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish year-round, plus trout in the cooler months. A West Virginia fishing license (and trout stamp in season) is required. Rental rowboats and paddleboats, plus quiet electric-only/no-gas water, make it a relaxing spot to fish from a boat or the bank amid the deep forest.
Watoga State Park
Watoga is the largest state park in West Virginia, more than 10,000 acres of mountain forest. Around the lake you’ll find cabins, a campground, a swimming pool, boat rentals, an arboretum and over 40 miles of hiking trails. The park adjoins the Calvin Price State Forest and sits near the Greenbrier River Trail and the Cranberry backcountry – a paradise for hikers, cyclists, paddlers and stargazers (the area has some of the East’s darkest skies).
Getting there and what’s nearby
Watoga State Park is south of Marlinton in Pocahontas County, eastern West Virginia, near Hillsboro. The Greenbrier River Trail, Droop Mountain Battlefield, the Cranberry Glades and Snowshoe Mountain are all in the surrounding highlands.
Know before you go
- Fishing license: required (plus a trout stamp during the stocking season).
- Small lake, big park: the lake is little, but the surrounding park is vast – plan time for trails and cabins.
- Best seasons: spring and fall for trout and foliage; summer for the pool, boating and camping.
Frequently asked questions
What fish are in Watoga Lake?
Largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish and stocked trout.
What is Watoga State Park?
The largest state park in West Virginia – over 10,000 acres of mountain forest around Watoga Lake, with cabins, a campground, a pool, an arboretum and 40+ miles of trails.
Where is Watoga Lake?
In Watoga State Park, south of Marlinton in Pocahontas County, eastern West Virginia.
Related: explore the small lakes of West Virginia, or head back to the West Virginia Lakes Database.
