2026 regulation year
Kanawha River 2026 — West Virginia Fishing Regulations
West Virginia statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Kanawha River carries 3 special-regulation overlays on top of West Virginia's 2026 fishing rules — covering Channel catfish, Flathead catfish, Blue catfish. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
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Per-species rules on Kanawha River
30 / day, 60 possession, no length limit
Flathead catfish regulations →
4 / day, only one over 35 in, 8 possession; Winfield + Marmet lock tailwaters
4 / day, 25 in min, only one over 35 in, 8 possession; state-length record 51.49 in
Official source
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources — Wildlife Resources Section publishes the authoritative 2026 West Virginia fishing regulations. Special-regulation lakes and rivers are listed in the agency booklet — always verify before fishing.
Visit official West Virginia fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to West Virginia Division of Natural Resources's emergency-order feed — check it before any West Virginia trip during the active season.
Other special-regulation waters in West Virginia
- Back Fork of Elk River (Webster Springs)
- Blackwater River (Blackwater Falls State Park)
- Bluestone Lake (Three Rivers WMA)
- Bluestone River (Pipestem State Park)
- Burnsville Lake
- Cheat Lake (Cheat River impoundment)
- Cheat Lake / Stonecoal / Mt. Storm
- Cheat River main stem (Cheat Lake outflow + downstream)
- Clear Fork of the Guyandotte River
- Cranberry River + tributaries (Cranberry Wilderness)
- Director-designated impoundments
- Dogway Fork of the Cranberry
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at Kanawha River?
- Kanawha River carries 3 special-regulation overlays that override West Virginia's statewide 2026 rules, covering Channel catfish, Flathead catfish, and Blue catfish. One of them reads: "30 / day, 60 possession, no length limit." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Kanawha River?
- Yes. Kanawha River is in West Virginia, so a valid West Virginia fishing license is required just as it is anywhere else in the state, issued by West Virginia Division of Natural Resources — Wildlife Resources Section. The special regulations on this page change the bag, size, slot, or gear rules for Kanawha River; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide West Virginia rules.
- Do Kanawha River's special rules replace West Virginia's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. West Virginia's statewide 2026 regulations apply on Kanawha River by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rules for the species or gear they name, while everything not specifically overridden still follows the statewide rule. When a water-body rule and the statewide rule disagree, the water-body rule wins.
- Which species have special rules on Kanawha River?
- Channel catfish, Flathead catfish, and Blue catfish have a water-body-specific rule on Kanawha River, each linking to its full West Virginia regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide West Virginia limits.