Cranberry River (West Virginia)

The Cranberry River is a river located in southeastern section of the US State of West Virginia. The river drains into the Gauley River a few miles east of Craigsville. The Cranberry River is a part of the Mississippi River watershed, by way of the Gauley, the Kanawha River, and the Ohio River.

The river has also been called Cranberry Creek in the past.[1]

Course

The south fork of the river has its headwaters in the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area. From there, the stream flows from west to east through the Gauley District of the Monongahela National Forest. Since the river flows mostly through United States Forest Service land, no more than a handful of people live along its banks; the few that do reside near the mouth of the river. However, the Cranberry River has several pay campgrounds, free campsites, and picnic areas along its banks.

Fishing

The Cranberry River and its small tributaries are regarded as some of the finest trout streams in the eastern United States. Until recently, however, trout fishing was limited on the south fork to the lower half of the river due to acid rain.[2] The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has worked to counter this problem by installing a liming station on the north fork of the river.

See also

• List of West Virginia rivers

External links

• Real-time water data for the Cranberry River