Of the lock systems, Pike Island offers the most prominent facilities, including an impressive fishing pier on the Ohio side. New Cumberland has been one of the hottest walleye locks on the Ohio River the past two years, but accessing the New Cumberland Lock requires some effort. The lock lies approximately one-fourth of a mile away from the parking area; but if the hot walleye bite is on, anglers don’t seem to mind.

If conditions are right, the Ohio River can be a productive water any time of the year. February and March are traditionally the best months to catch quantities of walleyes.

One trend that has emerged among Ohio River locks is that when water levels rise significantly, walleyes will move close to shore, making them especially vulnerable to shoreline angling. Anglers should note this trend and target shoreline eddies and slack-water zones when the river is running full.

Jigs tipped with twistertails in white, black and chartreuse appear to be a mainstay among Ohio River anglers. Walleyes bite these rigs readily, and the setup is easy and cost efficient. Another great walleye rig to use is a night crawler on the end of a jig. Tip the night crawler straight on the jig or add a spinner blade and trailer hook for more action. Crankbaits and husky jerkbaits also work well.

Angers are reminded that a regulation established in 2006 mandates an 18-inch minimum length and a two-fish-per-day creel limit on walleyes caught from the Ohio River.

TYGART RIVER
Anglers fishing the Tygart River have been racking up big numbers of walleyes for several years now, and over the past five years, the section just below the Tygart Dam has produced arguably the most consistent early-spring walleye fishing in the entire Mountain State.

Walleyes are not stocked directly into the Tygart River, but are stocked into Tygart Lake during alternate years. During periods of high flow, lake stockings are important because many of the 40,000-plus walleyes stocked into Tygart Lake eventually slip through the dam into the river system. Usually these high-water events occur during winter and early spring.

Walleyes only inhabit sections of the river downstream of the lake, and that probably won’t change, since the river depends on lake stockings for replenishment. A few walleyes can be found in the river immediately above the lake, but not in appreciable numbers.

Once walleyes hit the tailwater, many remain for a considerable amount of time, creating an impressive concentration of marble-eyes. High densities of walleyes confined to a small volume of water form an environment capable of generating stringers full of walleyes. Anglers are reminded that the daily limit is 10 walleyes per day on nearly all West Virginia rivers.

Walleye fishing in the Tygart tailwater is a numbers game. Although big walleyes show up occasionally, the majority of marble-eyes will run from 10 to 18 inches, the latter making mighty tasty fillets.

The best fishing usually occurs after storm events that contribute to high water flows. During high flows, walleyes tend to bunch up along the shoreline to avoid swift currents gushing through the dam. These walleyes are particularly vulnerable to shoreline anglers, especially those using minnow-tipped jigs, twistertails or small jerkbaits.