West Virginia is a mountainous state known as an angler’s paradise with more than 20,000 miles of streams and over a hundred fishing lakes. The waters here have large and healthy schools of fish with fish such as walleye, muskox tiger, bigmouth bass, crappie, catfish, white bass, and yellow perch; salmon often flock here.
To fish in West Virginia, you need a fishing license. You can buy it from approved resellers. Suppose you don’t have time to go to the dealers. In that case, you can purchase them at the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources website in West Virginia, which has a range of costs for different types of permits with as low as $3.00 for a one-day license and up to $805.00 for a fishing license for residents.
These costs depend on the fisherman’s age, the length of the right, and the combined permit. You will also need a fishing stamp after you have purchased access, and this fishing stamp must match the type of permit you bought and include the type of fishing you intend to engage in.
This article will talk about how much is a fishing license in west Virginia.
Getting a West Virginia Fishing License
If you decide you will choose West Virginia as your next fishing spot, you can purchase a West Virginia fishing license in one of the following ways:
– Buy Directly: You can go to dealers in the state with about 180 licensed retailers here. The cost to issue a license for the first time is 3$, and subsequent releases are 1$.
– Buy online: Note that the issuance cost for online transactions is $2.
– Phone: Call the Hunting and Fishing License Unit at 304-558-2758. The issuance cost for phone transactions is also $2.
How Much Is A Fishing License In West Virginia?
As mentioned above, you must also buy the appropriate fishing stamp when buying a license. There are several types of fishing stamps in Virginia that we will list here for your easy reference. Please follow the rules, as this will help you and your family have a pleasant trip. Also, the license is valid for the calendar year, so if buying an annual permit, I recommend buying it at the beginning of the year. Now let’s start talking about the cost categories for obtaining a West Virginia fishing license listed here:
Resident’s Annual Fishing License Cost
| Type Of License | Description Of License | Cost Of License |
| Sportsman Hunting/Trapping/Fishing Plus 3-Year License | Class XP3 License. This is a three-year Sportsman License that also includes the Trout Stamp | $135.00 |
| Sportsman Hunting/Trapping/Fishing 3-Year License | Class X3 License A three-year Sportsman License | $105.00 |
| Sportsman Hunting/Trapping/Fishing Plus License | Class XP annual license that also includes Trout Stamp | $45.00 |
| Resident Annual Sportsman Fish/Hunt/Trap License | Class X License For residents aged 18-64 years of age | $35.00 |
| Resident Annual Fish License | Class B License For residents aged 18-64 years of age | $19.00 |
| Resident Annual Jr. Sportsman Fish-Hunt-Trap License | Class XJ License For residents aged 15-17 years old | $16.00 |
| Apprentice Jr. Hunting/Trapping/Fishing | Class AHJ License For residents aged 15-17 years old Includes privileges of Class XJ | $16.00 |
| 5-Day Fishing License | Class L | $8.00 |
Non-Resident Annual Fishing License Cost
| Type Of License | Description Of License | Cost Of License |
| Non-Resident Annual Fishing License | Class LL License | $37.00 |
| Non-Resident Jr. Sportsman Fish/Hunt/Trap License | Class XXJ License For Non-Residents aged 15-17 years | $16.00 |
| Non-Resident One-Day Fishing License | Class F License | $3.00 |
| National Forest Hunting/Trapping/Fishing License | Class I License Requirement on National Forests in addition to Class F, QQ, or LL Licenses | $2.00 |
Lifetime Fishing License Cost
| Type Of License | Description Of License | Cost Of License |
| Combination Hunting/Trapping/Fishing License | Class AB-L License Conservation Stamp not required | $805.00 |
| Fishing License | Class B-L License Conservation Stamp not required | $552.00 |
| Combination Hunting/Trapping/Fishing-Infant License | Class AB-L-I License Conservation Stamp is not required Must be purchased before the infant turns 2 years old | $402.50 |
| Fishing-Infant License | Class B-L-I License Conservation Stamp is not required Must be purchased before the infant turns 2 years old | $276.00 |
| Trout Fishing License | Class O-L License Only valid when accompanied by a Class B, AB-L, AB-L-I, B-L, B-L-I, X, or XJ License | $230.00 |
| Trout Fishing-Infant License | Class O-L-I License Only valid when accompanied by a Class B, AB-L, AB-L-I, B-L, B-L-I, X, or XJ License Must be purchased before the infant turns 2 years old | $115.00 |
| Senior Lifetime Hunting & Fishing License | Class XS License It is required for anglers who turn 65 on or after January 01, 2012 Conservation stamp is not required | $25.00 |
Resident Stamp Costs
| Type Of Stamp | Description Of Stamp | Cost Of Stamp |
| Trout Fishing Stamp | Class O is Required of any licensed anglers fishing for trout, except for holders of Class XS License | $5.00 |
| Conservation Stamp | Class CS Stamp Required for licensed anglers except for holders of Class X, XJ, XS, A-L, B-L, and AB-L Licenses | $10.00 |
Non-Resident Stamp Costs
| Type Of Stamp | Description Of Stamp | Cost Of Stamp |
| Trout Fishing Stamp | Class OO Stamp Required licensed anglers fishing for trout | $16.00 |
| Conservation/Law Enforcement Stamp | Class CS/LE Stamp Required for all licensed anglers | $13.00 |
| National Forest Hunting/Trapping/Fishing | Class I Stamp Required of any licensed anglers except for holders of Class XXJ License | $2.00 |
Special Fishing License
| Type Of License | Description Of License | Cost Of License |
| Special Hunting-Fishing License For Persons With A Life-Threatening Condition | Class DT License Issued for anglers aged 20-years or less Requires no additional license or stamps. Resident and non-resident permit. | Free |
Source: WVDNR.COM
When Don’t You Need A Fishing License?
The following individuals will not be required to obtain a license in one of the following cases:
– People who are blind have a legal certificate
– The person who turned 65 by January 01, 2012, has photo identification or a West Virginia driver’s license to prove it.
– Residents under 15 years old
– A person on active duty in the United States Armed Forces is on leave, carrying a leave permit while fishing.
– Persons discharged from the United States Armed Forces receiving full-permanent disability benefits or former prisoners of war as determined by the Veterans Administration or qualified veterans with disabilities conditions as specified by the West Virginia Code 17A-10-8.
– Persons inpatients of any psychiatric hospital or medical facility in the state must be supervised and carry a signed certificate from the facility when fishing.
– Persons with developmental disabilities who have a DDFL card issued by DNR.
West Virginia Fishing License Renewal
Fishing permits expire after one calendar year. And after that license expires, you can renew it by purchasing a new permit. When you buy this license, my advice is to buy it at the beginning of the calendar year.
Fishing Violations
You must comply with West Virginia fishing regulations when fishing here. If you apply for the wrong mining license, you will be suspended for one year. There is also a scoring mechanism for those who commit violations. Your license will be revoked if you are charged ten points or more. After two years, points will be deleted, or if you are unjust.
The calculation of points in the following cases:
– Using explosives or poisons when fishing will count as ten points
– Illegal possession or trade of wild animals will result in six points
– Other violations will count for 4 points.
West Virginia Fish Size and Limits
| SPECIES | DAILY CREEL LIMIT | POSSESSION LIMIT | MINIMUM SIZE |
| Hybrid Striped Bass | 4 | 8 | 15 inches |
| BLACK BASS (Smallmouth, Largemouth & Spotted) |
6 | 12 | None |
| Tiger Musky | 2 | 4 | 28 inches |
| Muskellunge | 2 | 4 | 30 inches |
| TROUT (Rainbow, Golden, Brook, Brown) |
6 or 4 | 12 | None |
| Northern Pike | 2 | 4 | 28 inches |
| White Bass | 4 | 8 | None |
| Striped Bass | 4 | 8 | None |
| Paddlefish | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lake Sturgeon on | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shovelnose Sturge | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sauger, Saugeye & Walleye | Rivers-10 | Rivers-20 | None |
| Lakes-8 | Lakes-16 | None | |
| All Others | None | None | None |
| Channel Catfish | None | None | None |
| Frogs | 10 | 20 | None |
Best Places To Fish In West Virginia
When you come to West Virginia, there’s plenty to do. We list some places to refer to Shenandoah & Potomac Rivers, Cheat Lake, North Bend River, Jennings Randolph Lake, Bluestone River, Tygart Lake, Summersville Lake, Plum Orchard Lake, and Stonewall Jackson Lake. For those who are beginners, it is recommended to choose Tygart Lake. This is a great fishing spot with various white bass, yellow perch, and catfish, giving you the ideal experience.
Conclusion
After reading this article, we hope you can understand the fishing license regulations in West Virginia. Follow the rules and put the appropriate stamp on your fishing license to avoid legal troubles that affect your trip. We hope you will have a good experience fishing on this land.
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