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Cheat Lake

Lake fishing  West Virginia · 06:51 - 17:14

Cheat Lake is a lake set in West Virginia. The main target species are Striped Bass, Walleye and Muskellunge.

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Prime 85% The bite right now
Top bet: Striped Bass Prime feeding window at the dawn, water near its preferred 13 degrees, peak season, falling pressure ahead of weather.

Best day to fish

Tomorrow
81%
70°
Fri
84%
63°
Sat
85%
49°
Best day
Sun
78%
53°
Mon
78%
56°
Tue
78%
62°

The bite over the next days, scored at dusk. Based on the weather forecast, so it is guidance, not guarantees.

Conditions right now

Weather
Partly cloudy
Water temp (est.)
56°F
Air temp
57°F
Wind
8 mph
Pressure
30.06 inHg ↓ falling
Clouds
56.0%

Water temperature is an estimate based on weather and season.

Best times today

Dawn 06:06–08:06 Dusk 15:59–17:59

Local time at the spot, from the most likely species' daily rhythm.

Feeding times today

Waning crescent 30% lit
Major period 07:28–09:28 Major period 19:28–21:28 Minor period 01:24–02:54 Minor period 14:02–15:32

Solunar times are a traditional guide based on the moon's position, separate from the live ranking above. Local time at the spot.

Next hours

06:00
57°
07:00
57°
08:00
60°
09:00
66°
10:00
72°
11:00
75°
12:00
77°
13:00
79°
14:00
79°
15:00
78°
16:00
76°
17:00
71°

Likely catch now (15 species)

Striped Bass
Morone saxatilis
85%
Prime feeding window at the dawn, water near its preferred 13 degrees, peak season, falling pressure ahead of weather.
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Walleye
Sander vitreus
68%
Water near its preferred 13 degrees, peak season, falling pressure ahead of weather.
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Muskellunge
Esox masquinongy
66%
Prime feeding window at the dawn, water near its preferred 13 degrees, falling pressure ahead of weather.
Tap for details ↗
Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
66%
Prime feeding window at the dawn, water near its preferred 13 degrees, falling pressure ahead of weather.
Tap for details ↗
Brown Trout
Salmo trutta
42%
Prime feeding window at the dawn, water near its preferred 13 degrees, falling pressure ahead of weather.
Tap for details ↗
Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieu
39%
Prime feeding window at the dawn, falling pressure ahead of weather.
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About the fishing here

Popular catches here include Striped Bass, Walleye, Muskellunge, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Smallmouth Bass.

For Striped Bass, the fishing tends to peak around Apr-May, Oct-Nov. The best windows are usually dawn and dusk.

A state fishing license is required to fish here. Napp ranks the species above from the live weather, water temperature, season and time of day, so the order changes through the day.

Guides for this water

Tips right now

Technique Start with a crankbait for striped bass, the most likely catch right now.
Timing This is a prime window for striped bass at dawn. Fish hard now.
Colour Low light: try chartreuse, yellow and glow for striped bass.
Lure Crankbait for striped bass: Big swimbaits and plugs.
Depth The water temperature suits the fish. Fish actively at normal depths and edges.

Fishing permit

A state fishing license is required to fish here. Licenses are issued by each state:

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About this water

Cheat Lake is a 13-mile-long (21 km) reservoir on the Cheat River in Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States. It was originally named Lake Lynn, but the Board on Geographic Names officially decided upon Cheat Lake as the reservoir's name in 1976. Cheat Lake is located immediately downstream of the 10-mile-long (16 km) Cheat Canyon.

Read more on Wikipedia →

Map

More waters nearby

Hildebrand Pool West Virginia · 11.6 mi away Monongahela River West Virginia · 12.6 mi away Monongahela River West Virginia · 12.9 mi away Monongahela River West Virginia · 17.2 mi away Deep Creek Lake Maryland · 31.8 mi away Savage River Reservoir Maryland · 40.3 mi away Jennings Randolph Lake Maryland · 43.0 mi away Buffalo Lake West Virginia · 44.8 mi away

Common questions

What fish can you catch at Cheat Lake?

Popular catches here include Striped Bass, Walleye, Muskellunge, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Brook Trout and Black Crappie.

Do you need a fishing license at Cheat Lake?

Yes. A state fishing license is required; see the link on this page for the state's rules.

When is the best time to fish Cheat Lake?

Striped Bass fishing is usually best around Apr-May, Oct-Nov. The best windows are usually dawn and dusk.

What is biting at Cheat Lake right now?

Right now Striped Bass is the most likely catch, at about 42%.