Fishing in Virginia
Mountain trout streams, Piedmont reservoirs, smallmouth rivers and the Chesapeake Bay, with the 2026 Virginia rules for each water.
Search a town, county, lake or bait shop
- 155lakes
- 144rivers
- 224ramp pages
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Kerr Lake: flyheatherfly, CC BY 2.0
Blue Ridge trout, Piedmont reservoirs and the Chesapeake Bay
Virginia runs from wild brook trout streams high in the Blue Ridge and Alleghenies, through the big Piedmont reservoirs (Smith Mountain, Kerr, Gaston, Anna, Claytor) and the smallmouth rivers of the Shenandoah, James and New, down to the tidal rivers, the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic inlets of the Eastern Shore and Virginia Beach.
This guide holds 155 lake and reservoir pages, 144 river and trout stream pages, the Chesapeake Bay with 54 bay, sound, inlet and tidal river pages, 224 boat ramp pages, 268 bait shops, 133 county and city pages and 305 towns, each with the 2026 Virginia rules for its water.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Virginia's biggest lakes and reservoirs
Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir)
48,900 acres, Mecklenburg County
Lake pageBack Bay
25,000 acres, City of Virginia Beach
Lake pageSmith Mountain Lake
20,600 acres, Franklin County
Lake pageLake Gaston
20,300 acres, Brunswick County
Lake pageLake Anna
9,600 acres, Louisa County
Lake pageSouth Holston Reservoir
7,580 acres, Washington County
Lake pageClaytor Lake
4,363 acres, Pulaski County
Lake pageLeesville Reservoir
3,400 acres, Bedford County
Lake pageVirginia rivers ranked by DWR ramps and USGS gauges
James River (Upper and Middle)
Albemarle County
River pageNew River
Carroll County
River pageSouth Fork Shenandoah River
Clarke County
River pageNottoway River
Greensville County
River pageThe Chesapeake Bay and Virginia's Atlantic coast
Red drum, speckled trout, summer flounder, cobia and striped bass all carry Marine Resources Commission limits in the bay, its sounds and the tidal rivers below the license lines.
The 2026 Virginia digest creel and length table
| Fish as printed | Where it applies | Creel | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | statewide | 5 per day in the aggregate (combined) | No statewide length limits |
| Alabama, Spotted Bass | statewide | No statewide daily limit | No statewide length limit |
| Landlocked Striped Bass and Landlocked Striped Bass X White Bass Hybrids | statewide | 4 per day in the aggregate | No fish less than 20 inches |
| Walleye, Saugeye | statewide | 5 per day in the aggregate | No walleye or saugeye less than 18 inches |
| Sauger | statewide | 2 per day | No statewide length limits |
| White Bass | statewide | 5 per day | No statewide length limits |
| Chain Pickerel and Northern Pike | statewide | 5 per day | No statewide length limits |
| Muskellunge | statewide | 1 per day | No muskellunge less than 40 inches |
| Bluegill (bream) and other sunfish excluding Crappie, Rock Bass (redeye) and Roanoke Bass | statewide | 50 per day in the aggregate (combined) | No statewide length limits |
| Crappie (black or white) | statewide | 25 per day in the aggregate (combined) | No statewide length limits |
| Rock Bass (redeye) | statewide | 25 per day in the aggregate with Roanoke bass | No statewide length limits |
| Roanoke Bass | statewide | 25 per day in the aggregate with rock bass | No statewide length limits |
| Perch (yellow and white) | statewide | No statewide daily limit | No statewide length limit |
| Trout | statewide | 6 per day | 7 inch minimum size |
| Channel, White, and Flathead | statewide | 20 per day | No length limits |
| Blue | statewide | 20 per day | No statewide length limits |
| Other native or naturalized nongame fish | statewide | 20 per day | No length limits |
| Threatened and endangered species | statewide | No possession | no length limit printed |
Statewide creel and length limits as printed (page updated August 17, 2026), 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (eRegulations, linked from the Virginia DWR regulations page), read November 6, 2026.
Virginia dates and licenses to know
- Free Fishing DaysJune 5–7, 2026 and September 25–27, 2026; 2027 not announced yet.
- Trout fishingtrout license $23, October 1 to June 15 in stocked trout waters
- Trout stocking4,747 DWR stocking dates since 2023
- Border watersNorth Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland and DC licenses honored on set waters
- Protected fish23 fish that must go back
The heaviest Virginia freshwater records
- Blue Catfish, 143 lbs.Buggs Island Lake, 2011
- Blue Catfish, 68 lbs. 14 oz.Rappahannock River, 2022
- Flathead Catfish, 68 lbs. 12 oz.Lake Smith, 2018
- Carp, 60 lbs.Private Pond, 1970
- Striped Bass, 53 lbs. 7 oz.Leesville Reservoir, 2000
- Common Carp, 49 lbs. 4 oz.Lake Prince, 1986
Booking a Virginia charter and filling the tackle box
- Guides and charters54 charters and guides
- Bait shops268 shops and marinas
- Bucktails and soft plastics on Amazonfor bay stripers and specks
- Inline spinners on Amazonfor stocked mountain trout water
Virginia by lake, river, locality or town
- Lakes155 lakes and reservoirs
- Rivers144 pages
- Coast54 bays, inlets and tidal rivers
- Counties and citiesall 133
- Towns305 cities and towns
- Species65 fish
- TournamentsCATT, BFL and Fishers of Men
- Water levelspools, USGS flow and tide stations
- Boat ramps224 ramp pages
Virginia rules, records and directories
- Virginia waters A to Zevery lake, river, bay, locality, town and fish page in one list
- License and regulationsfees, exemptions and the creel and length table of the 2026 digest
- Saltwater rulesMarine Resources Commission limits as printed in the Administrative Code
- Special regulation watersthe lakes and rivers the digest gives their own line
- Special regulation trout watersdelayed harvest, catch and release and the Jackson tailwater
- Border watersKerr, Gaston, the New, the Potomac and South Holston
- Free Fishing Dayslicense-free dates DWR has announced
- State freshwater recordsthe DWR list as of 9-2-2025, weights and waters
- Trout stockingevery DWR stocking date back to 2023
- Trout fishingstocking categories, Heritage Day and wild trout classes
- Water levelsUSGS live flow, reservoir pools and tide stations
- Chesapeake Baythe bay, its sounds and the tidal rivers that feed it
- Boat rampsDWR boating access sites with a page each
- Fishing piersDWR lake piers and the Atlantic and bay piers
- Artificial reefsMarine Resources Commission reef sites with chart grids
- Bait and tackleshops and marinas grouped by DWR region number
- Guides and charterscharter captains and freshwater guides
- TournamentsCATT, BFL and Fishers of Men dates and results
Virginia fish named in Fishing in Virginia, shown in photos
Photo: robposse, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Pacific Southwest Region, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Heath Alseike, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, CC BY-SA 2.0
First-trip Virginia fishing questions
From what age must someone fishing in Virginia hold a license?
At 16. A Virginia freshwater license is $23 a year for residents and $47 for nonresidents 16 and older.
Which Virginia lake covers the most acres here?
Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir), at 48,900 acres by the source cited on its page.
How many bass may I keep in Virginia?
Five largemouth and smallmouth bass per day combined, with no statewide length limit, unless a water exception says otherwise.
Which dates did DWR set as Virginia Free Fishing Days?
June 5–7, 2026 and September 25–27, 2026; the 2027 dates are not announced yet.
Who sets Virginia fishing rules?
Virginia DWR for freshwater, through the 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest; the Marine Resources Commission for saltwater.
When must a Virginia angler add the trout license?
Designated stocked trout waters require a trout license October 1 to June 15; urban waters November 1 to April 30 (as printed).
Is a North Carolina license good on Kerr and Gaston?
Yes on the reciprocal stretch the digest describes; each state’s regulations apply on its own side.
Where are Virginia tournaments listed?
CATT, BFL and Fishers of Men dates and results are on the Virginia tournaments page, lake by lake.