Cheat Lake

Cheat Lake was formed in the early 1900s when a dam was built on the Cheat River to generate hydroelectric power, flooding a stretch of the river valley and creating the long, narrow reservoir seen today. The lake remains a working part of the power system, so its levels can rise and fall, but for most of the year it presents a broad, inviting sheet of water winding between forested ridges.

The Cheat River itself is famous among paddlers for its wilder upstream stretches, and the lake offers a calmer face of the same river. The valley here was long part of the ancestral homeland and hunting ground of the Lenape, the Shawnee, and the Haudenosaunee peoples, none federally recognized in West Virginia today, with descendant nations continuing elsewhere, who traveled the river corridors through these northern mountains.

Boating is the lake's great draw. Its long, winding shape and many coves give powerboats, pontoons, kayaks, and canoes plenty of room to roam, and marinas and public launches provide easy access. On warm weekends the lake fills with boats, and its quieter arms reward paddlers looking for calm water and wooded solitude away from the busier stretches.

Anglers prize Cheat Lake as well, fishing its shoreline and coves for bass and other species. The mix of open water and hidden inlets, deep reaches and shallow flats, makes for varied fishing, and the wooded shores keep the setting scenic. Whether under power or paddle, the lake is the outdoor centerpiece of the Morgantown area's warm-weather life.

For those who prefer to stay on land, the Cheat Lake rail-trail follows an old railroad grade along part of the shoreline, offering a flat, easy route for walking, running, and biking with the lake spread out below. It is a favorite for a casual outing, letting visitors enjoy the water and the wooded ridges without a boat.

The trail connects lakeside parks and access points and gives good views across the reservoir, especially in the softer light of morning and evening. In fall the surrounding hardwood ridges turn color and reflect off the water, making the shoreline trail one of the more scenic easy walks in the Morgantown area.

Cheat Lake's great advantage is its setting on the doorstep of Morgantown, a lively university city with restaurants, culture, and the campus of West Virginia University. A day on the lake pairs naturally with time in town, from the historic Woodburn Hall on campus to the city's riverfront and its unusual personal rapid transit system.

Just beyond the lake lies Coopers Rock State Forest, whose famous cliff-top overlook gazes down on the Cheat River gorge, making an easy addition to a lake visit. Summer is the peak season on the water, fall the most colorful on the shore, and together the lake and its surroundings give the northern mountains one of their most accessible outdoor bases.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.