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Berwind Lake Wildlife Management Area

Berwind Lake Wildlife Management Area is in southern McDowell County, about 12 miles from Welch. Operated by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Berwind is managed primarily for forest game including turkey, deer, squirrel, raccoon, and grouse. Extensive day-use recreational facilities, such as hiking trails, picnicking facilities, and a swimming pool, have been available in the past. In January 2016, budget cuts closed facilities not associated with fishing and hunting.

Berwind Lake WMA began in 1959 when the Conservation Commission (now Division of Natural Resources) opened a 20-acre lake on War Creek to public fishing. The lake remains a focal point and provides excellent fishing for warm-water species such as large-mouth bass, channel catfish, and bluegill. Trout are stocked monthly from February through May, and adult channel catfish are stocked in June of each year. In 1974, approximately 18,000 acres of the rugged mountain terrain surrounding the lake were leased by the state from the Berwind Land Company. The leased land was used for wildlife management and to provide hunting opportunities for southern West Virginia hunters. However, the lease expired in 2008, and the WMA now consists of 85 acres surrounding the lake. Hunting is limited due to the relatively small acreage of the WMA.

Written by Robert Beanblossom