Summersville Lake is excellent for small mouth and large mouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, bluegill, walleye, and the occasional rainbow trout. The lake is clean, clear, deep and provides many rock cliffs, boulders and other cover - an excellent enviroment for fish to thrive. The tailwaters are also stocked bi-weekly in the fall with trout. Night fishing and using live minnows for bait is permitted. When fishing for walleye, bottom bouncing night crawlers, crank baits, or trolling is recommended. Catfish pursue chicken livers and bass tend to prefer plastic bait or top water plugs. Out on the lake, there is unlimited horsepower, but speeds are restricted in the no-wake zones.
SCUBA DIVING
With an average visibility of 20 to 45 + feet and summertime water temperatures ranging from 60 to 80+ degrees, come see why Skin Diver magazine calls Summersville Lake the "Little Bahamas of the East". Scuba diving and snorkeling are very popular in this oligotrophic lake where sandstone cliffs plunge over 100 feet below the surface. Explore overhangs, boulder gardens, and swim-throughs while encountering massive bass, walleye and catfish. A full service dive shop at the marina will fill your tanks and charter you out to one of the more popular diving destinations around Long Point Cliffs and the grotto at Bubble Cave . . . . . or for those with good boat-handling skills and a need to explore the lake on their own terms, rent one of our Pontoon Boats for a day on the water that you will long remember.
DEEP WATER SOLO CLIMBING
The most fun you'll ever have with your rock shoes on . . . but they're gonna get wet!
Summersville Lake's emerald water laps against miles of bullet-hard sandstone creating, undoubtedly, the best deep-water soloing in North America. But don't take our word for it, see what Climbing magazine has to say about what's in our backyard: "Summersville Lake climbs are not to be missed in any season. Lake levels fluctuate drastically, and some crags offer both water soloing or dry land roped climbing, depending on the season. Well-documented Summersville sport crags such as the Coliseum and Orange Oswald areas are dry land year round, but other lakeside crags such as Pirate's Cove take on a new character when the water is high. And the developed crags represent only a small fraction of the soloing potential on the lake. You need a boat to explore many of the best nooks and crannies."
"Climbing" July 2004
Summersville Lake is excellent for small mouth and large mouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, bluegill, walleye, and the occasional rainbow trout. The lake is clean, clear, deep and provides many rock cliffs, boulders and other cover - an excellent enviroment for fish to thrive. The tailwaters are also stocked bi-weekly in the fall with trout. Night fishing and using live minnows for bait is permitted. When fishing for walleye, bottom bouncing night crawlers, crank baits, or trolling is recommended. Catfish pursue chicken livers and bass tend to prefer plastic bait or top water plugs. Out on the lake, there is unlimited horsepower, but speeds are restricted in the no-wake zones.
With an average visibility of 20 to 45 + feet and summertime water temperatures ranging from 60 to 80+ degrees, come see why Skin Diver magazine calls Summersville Lake the "Little Bahamas of the East". Scuba diving and snorkeling are very popular in this oligotrophic lake where sandstone cliffs plunge over 100 feet below the surface. Explore overhangs, boulder gardens, and swim-throughs while encountering massive bass, walleye and catfish. A full service dive shop at the marina will fill your tanks and charter you out to one of the more popular diving destinations around Long Point Cliffs and the grotto at Bubble Cave . . . . . or for those with good boat-handling skills and a need to explore the lake on their own terms, rent one of our Pontoon Boats for a day on the water that you will long remember. 
Summersville Lake's emerald water laps against miles of bullet-hard sandstone creating, undoubtedly, the best deep-water soloing in North America. But don't take our word for it, see what Climbing magazine has to say about what's in our backyard: "Summersville Lake climbs are not to be missed in any season. Lake levels fluctuate drastically, and some crags offer both water soloing or dry land roped climbing, depending on the season. Well-documented Summersville sport crags such as the Coliseum and Orange Oswald areas are dry land year round, but other lakeside crags such as Pirate's Cove take on a new character when the water is high. And the developed crags represent only a small fraction of the soloing potential on the lake. You need a boat to explore many of the best nooks and crannies."