West Virginia · Warmwater river · South
New River — New River Gorge
Large warm/coolwater river with public-access reaches.
West Virginia · public-access reaches. This page is what the desk knows about the water itself. What it is doing today — flow, water temperature, weather, and the hazards those produce — is a reading with a date on it, and it lives in Trip Prep.
Plan a trip on New River — New River GorgeWho manages it
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
These links were checked against the live agency site on 2026-09-01. Rules for a water change inside a season, so the agency’s own page on the day you go is the only current answer — this desk does not hold one.
Directory review
Review provenance unavailable
No unique fleet-directory record matched this operational water by name and state, so the desk will not borrow another water’s review date. The agency links on this page were checked on 2026-09-01; check the agency’s own page the day you go.
How access works here
Ramp-served, bank access at public land
Warmwater rivers are usually worked from a boat. Bank access concentrates at parks, conservation areas and public bridge right-of-way rather than running continuously.
Launch · Ramps are the normal access. Check ramp condition against current stage — a low-water ramp can end above the waterline.
Parking · Parking is at designated access points. A pullout that looks fine is not automatically legal or safe to leave a vehicle in.
West Virginia publishes a hunt-fish map and a stream access point list.
Gauge
A public gauge is mapped
Flow and water temperature for this water are read from USGS site 03185400, New River at Fayette, WV. It is an official public gauge, not a fishing pin: it describes the river at one point, and the reach you stand in may be doing something else.
Species · derived
6 plausible here
Derived from water class (warmwater river) and South range — not a stocking record. Confirm species, seasons and any closures with West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.
Smallmouth bass
67–78°F published preference · handling becomes a conservation problem at 84°F
Largemouth bass
75–86°F published preference · handling becomes a conservation problem at 90°F
Spotted bass
70–82°F published preference · handling becomes a conservation problem at 88°F
Channel catfish
75–85°F published preference · handling becomes a conservation problem at 92°F
Striped bass
65–75°F published preference · handling becomes a conservation problem at 77°F
Common carp
70–84°F published preference · handling becomes a conservation problem at 92°F