CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Including changes that expand boating access on several small state lakes, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has announced updated boating regulations for 2026.
Approved during the 2026 Regular Session of the West Virginia Legislature and effective immediately, the new regulations remove horsepower restrictions on several lakes while maintaining no-wake requirements.
Under the updated rules, motorboats with engines larger than 10 horsepower are now permitted to operate at no-wake speed on Elk Fork Lake, North Bend Lake, O’Brien Lake, Stonecoal Lake, and Woodrum Lake. The same regulation will remain in effect at Upper Mud River Lake.
The division in a press release noted that no special permits are required for boaters operating under the new regulations.
Additionally, any vessel equipped with an electric motor on electric motor-only impoundments must continue to operate at no wake speed.
West Virginia offers extensive public boating opportunities across the state, with more than 2,000 miles of navigable and fishable streams covering more than 19,000 surface acres of water. The state is also home to 21 lakes larger than 100 acres, totaling more than 20,000 acres of fishable and boatable waters, along with dozens of smaller impoundments and ponds open to recreation.
State officials said boating remains one of West Virginia’s most popular outdoor activities, offering opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, 
Children younger than 13 must wear a life jacket while the vessel is underway, and boats measuring 16 feet or longer must also carry a throwable Type IV flotation device.
According to boating safety data, nearly 80 percent of people who die in boating accidents were not wearing life jackets.
For more information about boating regulations, boating education courses, and boating safety in West Virginia, visit the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources website.
Why not Beech Fork. It’s unfair because it’s bigger than these recent changes. It costs so much to do anything these days. Lakes are miles from Huntington area. River is unusable most of the year. Most of the timber has rotted away and in no-wake zones anyway. Have been boating Beech Fork since the year it has opened. Quit fishing the tournaments because I know for a fact that most Jon boats are running disguised 15 HP motors or even larger. It’s not fair.
Cry me a river. That’s funny
Only reason I fill mud river is no wake so it don’t disturb the bass so they can go in dark schock bass out of waters to take to the Greenbrier resort I’ve seen it with my own eyes plenty of times
I personally think that a no restriction on boat motors on stonecoal lake will be very dangerous. stonecoal lake is very narrow for the six miles of its length and it gets really foggy morning a night . I would hate to be on the lake in a small boat or kayak when someone comes flying up the lake with a 200 horsepower motor it’s a scary thought. Not to mention the spawning bass a crappie nest that will be destroyed by the gigantic waves created by these boats. Somebody wasn’t thinking
I don’t see anything wrong with it as long as people with bigger motors go slow.