Fish attractors are some of the best cover types in the lake. Fish attractant structures placed in the lake by the West Virginia DNR are virtual magnets for bass and other game fish. Constructed from trees, blocks and poles, these structures rank among the most consistent places to encounter bass on Burnsville Lake, but competition for fishing them can be intense. It’s unusual to fish around fish attractors without catching a few bass, and sometimes lunker bass hang around them feeding on baitfish and small bluegills or crappie.

Burnsville Lake features multiple access sites where anglers can launch boats. Located along U.S. Route 19 on the upper end of the lake, both the Bulltown daytime and campground areas feature launch ramps. The day use area is open from April to November, and the campground ramp is open year ‘round.

On the lower end of the lake, the Riffle Run launch ramp is open year ‘round and is serviced by the lake’s only marina, Burnsville Docks. To access the Riffle Run area, take exit 79 from Interstate 79 through the town of Burnsville and follow the signs to the lake.

NEW RIVER
You might have heard the stories, legends and other tales about smallmouth fishing on the New River. Knowing the typical angler’s ability to stretch the truth, I can’t swear that all of the tales are true. Yet, there’s no doubt that the New River is one of the best smallmouth fisheries in the world. Indeed, anglers from all over the country have come to know the New River as an awesome destination to catch trophy smallmouths, both in West Virginia and Virginia.

The New is unusual in that it is one of the few rivers that flows north through Virginia until it joins the Gauley to form the Kanawha River near Glen Ferris, West Virginia.

The New River is both a numbers and trophy fishery; on primo days, it can be both. However, big smallies serve as the featured attraction on the New. Anglers will really key in on the trophy aspect of the New’s smallmouth fishery.

Winter and spring are clearly the best times to catch lunker smallmouths, although smallmouths are caught from the river throughout the year. When temperatures start to rise in March, smallmouths begin to become active. Once smallmouth activity escalates in the spring, the odds of encountering one of the New’s big smallmouth bass goes way up, thus making spring the optimal time to hook an egg-laden lunker.

Each year, the biggest smallmouths seem to be caught early in the spring, and clearly, the New harbors plenty of big smallmouths. The New River leads the state in citation-sized (4 pounds or larger) smallmouth bass and has done so for quite some time.

Many of the trophy smallmouths coming from the New will range from 4 to 5-plus pounds, but I’ve personally seen smallmouths up to 7 pounds on the New. The current state-record smallmouth of 25.5 inches came from the New River. Many experts believe that the next state-record smallmouth might come from the New as well.

Float trips are very popular on the New and several options remain available to anglers. However, while trophy smallmouths exist from one end of the New River to the other, anglers must use caution when float-fishing on some areas because the New River contains some serious whitewater areas that should only be navigated by experienced paddlers.