The three most upriver dams along West Virginia’s portion of the big river are New Cumberland, Pike Island and Hannibal. All are gated dams. The lock chambers are located on the Ohio side on the New Cumberland and Hannibal dams. Hydroelectric plants are found on the West Virginia side at these two facilities. At the Pike Island Lock and Dam, lock chambers are found on the West Virginia shore. There is no hydroelectric plant at this dam.

According to fisheries biologist Curt Wagner, of neighboring Ohio’s Division of Wildlife, electrofishing surveys conducted last November in the tailrace areas paint a picture of the present fish populations within these areas. In general, saugers outnumber walleyes. Saugers tend to out-compete with walleyes in turbid environments, which the Ohio River qualifies as.

Efforts conducted below the New Cumberland Dam reveal a population consisting of about 92 percent saugers and 8 percent walleyes. The 2007 year-class of saugers was well represented. Given the sauger’s short life span that’s particularly relevant for angling efforts.

“Saugers live fast and die young,” explained Wagner. “Young-of-the-year saugers will often be 7 inches long by the fall. They are fast growing. But as such, they physiologically break down quickly, too.”

Wagner said 2-year-old saugers produced during the 2007 spawn will average 12 to 14 inches in length. Three-year-old fish, though relatively rare, will exceed 15 inches.

The highest walleye numbers are found downriver in the Pike Island Locks and Dam tailrace, where the walleye population rose to 22 percent (78 percent saugers) during recent fall surveys. The Pike Island tailrace also produced the biggest walleyes, fish up to 25 inches.

The Hannibal Lock and Dam exhibited the highest sauger density of the three dams. About 97 percent of the catch was made up of saugers, with walleyes being represented with about 3 percent of that collected during electrofishing.

Fishing access varies from average to excellent within these three dams. Construction at the power plant at the New Cumberland Lock and Dam has temporarily eliminated areas typically open to shore-anglers. A boat access is located near New Cumberland, about a mile-and-a-half below the dam, which provides good boat access.

The Pike Island Dam features nice shore-fishing facilities on the Ohio side of the river. Public boat access if available a short distance downriver at the city of Wheeling’s three-lane launch. The Hannibal Dam has the nicest shore-fishing facilities of the three, where fishing piers and fish-cleaning facilities are located on the West Virginia shore. There is also a nice boat access a couple miles down the river, at Fishing Creek, in New Martinsville.

Special regulations apply to walleyes here, calling for a two-fish limit and an 18-inch minimum length limit.