Summersville Lake

Summersville Lake was created in the 1960s when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a large earthen dam across the Gauley River, mainly to control the floods that had long plagued the valley towns downstream. The dam backed the river up into a deep reservoir among the steep, forested hills, and today the lake stretches for miles with a long, cliff-lined shoreline.

The project came at a cost to the valley it flooded. The small community of Gad lay in the path of the rising water and had to be abandoned, its residents relocated before the reservoir filled, a story echoed at many mountain dams of the era. The dam still does its flood-control job today, and the lake it formed has become one of the most popular recreation spots in the state.

What sets Summersville apart from most Appalachian lakes is the clarity of its water. Fed by clean mountain streams and held in a rocky basin, the reservoir stays unusually clear, and on a calm summer day divers can see remarkable distances below the surface. That clarity has made it one of the premier freshwater scuba diving destinations in the eastern United States, with divers exploring rock formations, drop-offs, and the quiet underwater world along the cliffs.

The same clean water makes for excellent paddling, swimming, and boating. Kayakers and canoeists thread the coves and slip beneath the cliff walls, powerboats and anglers work the open water, and swimmers gather at the beaches and shoreline areas. A small lighthouse near the shore has become a local landmark and a favorite photo stop.

The sandstone cliffs that ring Summersville Lake are a climbing destination in their own right, offering routes on solid rock with the lake shimmering below. Climbers and cliff jumpers gather at the popular walls, and the combination of climbing above and boating below gives the lake an adventurous, outdoors reputation to match the nearby gorge.

Each fall the lake performs its most dramatic act. Water managers draw the reservoir down and release big flows through the dam, sending a controlled torrent down the lower Gauley River. The result is Gauley season, weeks of world-class whitewater that draw rafters and kayakers from around the globe to one of the steepest, most technical big-water runs in North America.

This rugged plateau country was ancestral homeland and shared hunting ground of the Shawnee, the Cherokee, the Moneton, and other peoples who traveled and hunted the mountains and river valleys long before the reservoir existed. None of those nations is federally recognized in West Virginia today, and their descendant nations continue in other states, but the deep woods and streams they knew still surround the lake.

The forested shoreline and clear water support abundant life. Bass, walleye, catfish, and trout draw anglers to the lake, while ospreys and bald eagles hunt over the open water and white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and black bear move through the surrounding hills. In fall the hardwood ridges around the lake blaze with color, mirrored on the still water.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Summersville Lake, in the mountains of southern West Virginia near the town of Summersville, is the largest lake in the state, a beautiful reservoir famous for its exceptionally clear blue-green water, sandstone cliffs, and forested shores. Prized for its clarity, the lake is a popular destination for boating, swimming, scuba diving, and cliff climbing, with rock formations rising from the water and coves to explore. Below the dam, the Gauley River offers world-class whitewater rafting in the fall. A scenic mountain lake, Summersville draws water lovers from far and wide. With its clear waters, cliffs, and recreation, Summersville Lake offers a spectacular destination in West Virginia.

You can boat, kayak, and paddle the clear lake, swim at the beaches and coves, scuba dive in the notably clear water, rock climb on the sandstone cliffs rising from the lake, fish, and explore the scenic shoreline, while below the dam the Gauley River offers famous whitewater rafting in the fall. The clear water, the cliffs, and the varied recreation are highlights, making it a favorite for divers, climbers, and boaters. With its swimming, boating, diving, climbing, and nearby rafting, Summersville Lake offers a rewarding outdoor experience in southern West Virginia.

The lake is large and deep, so boaters and paddlers should wear life jackets, watch for winds and boat traffic, and swimmers should be cautious of deep water, watch children closely, and be careful near the cliffs, where cliff jumping is dangerous and can cause serious injury or death. Scuba diving and cliff climbing are for the trained and equipped. The Gauley River whitewater below the dam is for guided or expert rafters only. Wearing life jackets, being cautious near cliffs and deep water, and respecting the river's power ensure a safe visit to Summersville Lake in West Virginia.

Summer is the prime time for swimming, boating, diving, and enjoying the clear lake, when the weather is warmest and the water inviting, though it is the busiest season, while fall is famous for the Gauley River whitewater season below the dam, when controlled water releases create world-class rafting, a legendary time for paddlers. Spring and fall offer pleasant weather and fewer lake crowds. For lake recreation aim for summer, and for the famous Gauley rafting, fall, at Summersville Lake in southern West Virginia.

Summersville Lake is in the mountains of southern West Virginia near Summersville, with the Gauley River whitewater below the dam, within reach of the New River Gorge with Sandstone Falls and Grandview, the Beckley area, and the central mountain region. That makes Summersville Lake a spectacular stop to combine with the New River Gorge, the Gauley River, and the other attractions of southern West Virginia on a visit to the state.