CHARLESTON, W.Va. — An agreement has been reached between the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reinstate trout stockings to their original schedule.
As part of the agreement, the WVDNR will reinstate stockings in four previously closed waters and restore the stocking frequency of 20 iconic streams during May.
Streams returning to the original stocking schedule are Pinnacle Creek in Wyoming County, Camp Creek in Mercer County, Laurel Creek of Cherry in Greenbrier/Nicholas County and North Fork of Cherry in Greenbrier County.
Following the initial decision to remove these waters from the stocking schedule due to endangered species concerns, Gov. Jim Justice and WVDNR representatives engaged with the USFWS to explore a potential compromise. As a result, the streams will resume stocking as originally outlined in the 2024–2025 Fishing Regulations.
Additionally, West Virginia University will conduct a trout food habitat study to ensure appropriate conservation measures are in place to protect the Candy Darter, Guyandotte River Crayfish and Big Sandy Crayfish.
Anglers can find the full trout stocking schedule on pages 14–15 of the 2024 West Virginia Fishing Regulations Summary.
