BECKLEY, W.VA. — Labor Day weekend might be the unofficial end of summer, but there are plenty of opportunities in the coming months for fishing adventures in the Mountain State, according to fish management officials for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.

With the long weekend coming up, DNR officials would also like to remind anglers and boaters to be safe on the water by wearing a personal flotation device and practicing social distance guidelines at public access sites.

"Summer might be winding down, but it's a great time to take a trip, enjoy our natural resources and maybe see what's a half hour or an hour away," said Mark Scott, assistant chief of fish management for the WVDNR. "A lot of folks travel to the beach for vacation so they can get away, but you'd be surprised by what you can find close to home."

WVDNR's Online Map Lists State's Fishing Lakes and Streams

With thousands of miles of streams trickling through the mountains and hundreds of lakes dotting the landscape, there's no shortage of quiet and scenic places to cast a line in West Virginia.

"We have an online mapping tool that shows all the different facilities the DNR operates and it's an excellent tool if you're a beginner or if you've been fishing for years but want to try a float trip on a certain river," Scott said.

The online map, available at mapwv.gov/huntfish, features a searchable database of West Virginia's public lakes, streams, rivers and other fishable waters and includes information about accessibility and amenities.

"It's a great place to start if you want to plan a fishing trip in West Virginia," Scott said.

Anglers who have questions about stream gauge levels and fishing conditions in a specific location should contact the WVDNR office in that area. All anglers 15 and older are required to have a fishing license and valid form of identification while fishing. To learn more about West Virginia's fishing regulations, visit wvdnr.gov. To purchase a fishing license, visit wvfish.com.

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