The 470-acre Dunkard Fork Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is chiefly forested in oak, hickory, and cove hardwoods and ascends moderate slopes from the margins of the Dunkard Fork of Buffalo Creek. Game commonly harvested in the management area includes deer, grouse, squirrel, turkey, and waterfowl, though hunting is limited as a result of the relatively small size of the management area. Dunkard Fork Lake, at 49 acres, supports fishing for trout, bluegill, channel catfish, tiger musky, and hybrid-striped bass. Black bass may be taken for catch-and-release fishing. Dunkard Fork Lake is stocked with trout February through May and is equipped with a boat ramp and fishing pier. Camping in the management area is prohibited.
Directions: Dunkard Fork Wildlife Management Area is located in central Marion County seven miles northwest of Fairmont, WV. To reach the area from Fairmont, follow highway US-250 west to hgihway WV-218 at Farmington, WV. Follow the latter route north to CR-15, on which the management area is located.
Dunkard Fork WMA is managed by the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources. It was formerly known as the Dunkard Fork Public Hunting & Fishing Area. The fork was so-named for members of the Dunkard Brethren Church, a conservative German sect, who settled in the area in the late 1700s.
Hotels near Dunkard Fork WMA
Fairmont (WV) Hotels
Farmington (WV) Hotels
Regional Information
Further information on lodging, dining, and recreation near Dunkard Fork Wildlife Management Area may be found in our guide to travel in the Monongahela Valley Region in northern West Virginia, in which the management area is located.
