Summersville Lake Wildlife Management Area

In southern Nicholas County, south of Summersville, WV, the Summersville Lake Wildlife Management Area protects 5,974 acres of primarily forested terrain surrounding 2,790-acre Summersville Lake, West Virginia's largest lake. The wildlife-management area is managed by the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources on property owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and includes non-hunting public recreation areas including picnic areas, hiking trails, a swimming beach, and private and public campground areas. Many areas of cliff on and near the lake are also popular destinations for rock climbing, and care should be used when hunting near such areas. The area is an notably productive hunting ground for deer, bear, grouse, turkey, and squirrel. Its fish population includes crappie, bluegill, walleye, channel catfish, and smallmouth and largemouth bass. The lake's tailwater is stocked with rainbow trout. Fishing accommodations are provided for the physically disabled. Restrooms, showers houses, and trailer disposal stations are provided near the lake.