Lake Moomaw Seasonal Recreation

Spring: March Through May

Spring is the peak trout fishing season at Lake Moomaw. Before strong thermal stratification develops in late May and June, rainbow and brown trout distribute more broadly through the water column and are accessible to lighter presentations -- trolling small spoons and spinners at modest depths, or even casting from the Bolar Flats area during the early season when fish are still near the surface. DWR typically begins spring stocking cycles in March, introducing McConaughy rainbow trout fingerlings that supplement the lake's established brown trout population. Spring also brings the best Jackson River tailwater conditions -- water temperatures ideal for active trout, and river levels that are often at their most fishable before summer low-water periods. Douthat State Park 15 miles away stocks Douthat Lake with trout beginning in spring, providing an additional fishing venue if Lake Moomaw is windswept or Bolar Flats is busy.

Summer: June Through August

Lake Moomaw's Bath County elevation -- the Warm Springs Valley sits at approximately 2,000 feet, with the lake terrain somewhat higher -- produces the coolest summer lake temperatures of any major Virginia reservoir. Water surface temperatures at Lake Moomaw in July and August typically run 5 to 10 degrees cooler than Smith Mountain Lake or Claytor Lake, making swimming and on-water activity significantly more comfortable through the afternoon. Summer visitors to Bolar Flats find a less-crowded experience than at Virginia's more accessible reservoirs -- the drive from any significant population center requires committing to Bath County's mountain roads, which naturally limits the casual day-tripper crowd that descends on closer lakes. For anglers, summer means deep trout trolling at thermocline depth while bass activity increases in the warmer upper water layers of the coves and shorelines.

Fall: September Through November

Fall foliage at Lake Moomaw is exceptional by any Virginia standard. The 43 miles of National Forest shoreline -- unbroken hardwood and mixed forest to the waterline on all sides -- produce a foliage display in mid-October that has no developed shoreline to interrupt it. On the water at Lake Moomaw in mid-October, the visual is pure mountain lake surrounded by peak autumn color with no houses, no docks, and no boat houses on the shoreline. National Forest hunting season opens in fall, bringing hunters into the surrounding George Washington National Forest. Anglers find fall produces aggressive bass feeding and renewed trout activity as surface temperatures drop toward optimal trout range. Bolar Flats boat traffic drops significantly after Labor Day, producing some of the least-congested lake days of the year.

Winter: December Through February

Winter at Lake Moomaw is defined by two recreational anchors that no other Virginia lake market provides: the Homestead's ski area at Hot Springs (15 miles from the lake), and year-round Jackson River tailwater fly fishing. The ski area is modest -- a handful of trails with snowmaking -- but it is the only ski operation in the Bath County-Alleghany Highlands region and provides a genuine winter activity that resort guests and local residents use through the season. The Jackson River tailwater below Gathright Dam fishes year-round for wild brown and rainbow trout -- cold-water releases from the deep reservoir maintain productive trout habitat regardless of air temperature. Ice fishing is occasionally possible on Lake Moomaw in the coldest winters, though the lake's depth and wind exposure limit reliable ice formation to the shallower cove areas.