DISTRICT II
The opportunities are somewhat limited in District II, according to fisheries biologist Jim Headrick. There is one fairly good venue, however. That's Jennings Randolph Lake.

This 952-acre Mineral County body of water is managed jointly with Maryland. It's located on the North Branch of the Potomac River in Garrett County, Maryland and Mineral County, West Virginia.

The lake is stocked heavily with walleyes. Since 2001, there have been approximately 2.5 million walleye fry released in Jennings Randolph. With plenty of favorable habitat available, the walleye fishing has steadily improved. It's a good place to catch a stringer of 'eyes for dinner.

The lake is deep and clear. Much of it is dotted with boulders, stumps, logs, laydowns and trees. The walleye fishing is best early and late in the year, but fine catches can be made during the summer months by anglers who are willing to fish deep water. Most of the hot-weather fish are found along the channel bends and swings, especially if there's a weedbed or some wood nearby.

Savvy warm-weather anglers will fish minnows and jigs tipped with live bait after dark on this one. Another popular nighttime technique is to jig silver spoons over the bends and swings. Hard, fast, upward jerks are the key. It seems to activate lethargic fish.

Another water worth a few casts if you're in the area is Mount Storm Lake. Mount Storm covers 1,200 acres and is in Grant County. Take U.S. Route 50 to state Route (SR) 42 and then travel on SR 93.

Mt. Storm is a power plant cooling lake that stays warm during most of the year. That's not the best situation for walleyes. Still, they have been stocked and seem to be doing well.

For more information on Jennings Randolph, Mount Storm or any of the other waters in District II, contact the office at (304) 822-3551.

DISTRICT III
According to Jim Walker, assistant fisheries biologist, the place to start walleye fishing in District III is in Stonewall Jackson and Stonecoal lakes. Both lakes benefit from a fairly aggressive stocking program, which is beginning to result in excellent catches.

Stonewall Jackson is a 2,650-acre U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impoundment located in Lewis County. Access is directly off Interstate 79.

There's much standing timber in Stonewall Jackson and most of it holds walleyes. The better spots will be near weedbeds or around the channel and ditch swings. Fish those areas with care. Make sure you cover all available water from every angle possible. During low-light conditions, fish the shallow bays and backwater areas. Walleyes will move into these spots to feed.

Stonecoal Lake is much smaller, covering only about 550 acres, but don't let that fool you. It benefits from a stocking rate of 40 fingerlings per acre and the results are beginning to show. This Lewis and Upshur county venue is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the best places in the Mountain State to harvest a serious stringer of walleyes.

Early in the year, you might want to take a look at the Elk River. It has produced several big walleyes over the last couple of years and shows no signs of slowing down in the near future.