East Lynn Lake is a 1,005-acre (4 km2) reservoir on the East Fork Twelvepole Creek in Wayne County, West Virginia. The lake is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District, as part of a series of flood control projects for the Ohio River basin.

East Lynn Lake
View from the dam
Location of the reservoir in West Virginia.
Location of the reservoir in West Virginia.
East Lynn Lake
LocationWayne County, West Virginia
Coordinates38°08′42″N 82°23′02″W / 38.14500°N 82.38389°W / 38.14500; -82.38389[1]
Typereservoir
Primary inflowsEast Fork Twelvepole Creek
Primary outflowsEast Fork Twelvepole Creek
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length12 mi (19 km)[2]
Max. widthless than 0.25 mi (400 m)
Surface area1,005 acres (4 km2)
Shore length144 mi (71 km) at summer pool[2]
Surface elevation662 ft (202 m) at summer pool
656 feet (200 m) at winter pool[3]
References[3]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

History

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East Lynn Lake was originally authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1938 following the devastating Flood of 1937. Like many other projects authorized in this era, construction did not actually take place until much later. Construction occurred about 1969[4]-1970 with the intended purposes of flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife management. East Lynn Lake was established as the project's official name in 1971.[1]

Construction of the lake resulted in the destruction of the town of Stiltner at the mouth of Brush Creek. It also required the relocation of a large stretch of West Virginia Route 37, which formerly followed the East Fork Twelvepole Creek valley that was inundated by the lake.[5]

Today

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East Lynn Lake is home to 29 species of fish indigenous to southern West Virginia as well as carp and other non-native species.[2] The lake is regularly stocked by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, which manages the lake and surrounding land as East Lynn Lake Wildlife Management Area.

The lake has wake-permitted and no-wake zones, making it popular for fishing and water skiing. The Army Corps of Engineers maintains several recreational areas including a campground at the lake. There is also a marina near the dam.

Recreation

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Fishing

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Multiple West Virginia stage record fish were caught along the East Lynn Lake.[6][7][8]

References

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  1. ^ a b "East Lynn Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
  2. ^ a b c "U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District - East Lynn Lake". U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
  3. ^ a b "East Lynn Lake". U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District. Archived from the original on 2009-01-09. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
  4. ^ Date on East Lynn Lake outlet structure.
  5. ^ Wayne, West Virginia quadrangle (Map). 1:24,000. 7.5-Minute Series (Topographic). U.S. Geological Survey. 1987.'
  6. ^ "West Virginia Fishing Records". West Virginia DNR. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  7. ^ "West Virginia Fishing Records". Land Big Fish. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  8. ^ Kirk, Sam (January 10, 2024). "West Virginia DNR creates 5 new state fishing record categories". WBOY. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
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