No matter where they come from, however, they have plenty to eat in this water also. The forage base at East Lynn is shad and there is an abundance of them. That means the walleyes have enough to eat, year 'round.

Brown believes the best way to fish East Lynn is to follow the shad and throw small shallow-running crankbaits around and through the schools. If the walleyes drop down toward the bottom, try a deep diver.

This lake provides both numbers and size. It's possible to limit out here in just a few hours. It's also possible to catch a big one. Brown reports that 2005 produced at least one 8.5-pound walleye. That's a good fish anywhere in the nation.

Beech Fork is a 700-acre Corps of Engineers flood-control impoundment. The numbers of walleyes aren't as good as East Lynn and neither are their sizes. But it's still a great fishery, however, and worth a trip if you live in the area.

For more information on these lakes or others in District V, call the office at (304) 675-0871.

DISTRICT VI
The pickings are a little slim in District VI, unless you want to fish the Ohio River. But that's not a bad choice.

Fisheries biologist Scott Morrison reports the catches below the dams have steadily increased over the recent past. There isn't much difference between the dams, so the best strategy is to fish the dam that's closest to where you live. The fishing will be as good there as at any other dam.

Minnows fished on slip-sinker rigs or Carolina rigs are popular and effective. Jigs tipped with live bait will do a fine job, but you'll need some big ones to keep them down. The current gets swift at times and anything less than 1 ounce probably won't do the job of getting you to the bottom.

To get up-to-the-minute information on the tailwater fishing opportunities in this district, call the District VI office at (304) 420-4550.

Well, there you have it, a look at good places to fish for walleyes in West Virginia. One of them is bound to be near you. So if you're not cooking up a mess of white, flakey fillets this year, you have no one to blame but yourself.