Virginia Best Fishing Times Today
Solunar major and minor periods, sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset and the moon phase for every Virginia county, today and for the next 7 days.
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All 133 counties in Virginia are in the list. Choose one and the times below switch to that county, in its own local clock time.
Today’s solunar periods, sunrise, sunset and the moon for Richmond (city), Virginia load here.
Virginia times are worked out in your browser with SunCalc for each county’s internal point in the Census Bureau 2023 Gazetteer, shown in that county’s local time. Check any Virginia day against the US Naval Observatory sun and moon tables.
What the Virginia fishing times mean
Major periods, roughly 2 hours long, are centred on the moon passing overhead and underfoot; minor periods, roughly 1 hour, are centred on moonrise and moonset. This is the solunar theory John Alden Knight set out in 1926, a traditional guide for Virginia waters and not a guarantee of bites.
Each day the moon rises over Virginia roughly 50 minutes later than the day before, which walks the periods through the clock. Look along the week for a period that overlaps first or last light.
Traditional tables give their best ratings to days near a new or full moon, so each Virginia card also carries the phase and how much of the moon is lit.
All 133 counties keep Eastern time. Clock sunrise is not the same across Virginia: on June 21 it ranges from 5:42 a.m. in Accomack County to 6:15 a.m. in Lee County, 33 minutes apart.
Around Richmond daylight lasts 14 hours 45 minutes on the June solstice and 9 hours 34 minutes on the December solstice, so the same solunar period can fall in daylight in summer and in the dark in winter. From Frederick County in the north to Danville (city) in the south the county centres are 2.6 degrees of latitude apart; on June 21 that is 14 hours 56 minutes of daylight against 14 hours 40 minutes.
Virginia sunrise, sunset and day lengths above are computed for the 133 Census 2023 Gazetteer county internal points with the same SunCalc formulas the widget uses.
Virginia fish to plan around today's times
Where to find each fish in Virginia, with its limits and records.
- Alabama Bass
- Alewife
- American Eel
- American Shad
- Atlantic Croaker
- Atlantic Spadefish
- Black Crappie
- Black Drum
- Black Sea Bass
- Blue Catfish
- Blueback Herring
- Bluefish
- Bluegill
- Blueline Tilefish
- Bowfin
- Brook Trout
- Brown Trout
- Chain Pickerel
- Channel Catfish
- Cobia
- Common Carp
- Flathead Catfish
- Flier
- Freshwater Drum
- Golden Tilefish
- Grass Carp
- Greater Amberjack
- Green Sunfish
- Hickory Shad
- Hybrid Striped Bass
- King Mackerel
- Largemouth Bass
- Longnose Gar
- Muskellunge
- Northern Pike
- Northern Snakehead
- Pumpkinseed
- Rainbow Trout
- Red Drum
- Redbreast Sunfish
- Redear Sunfish
- Roanoke Bass
- Rock Bass
- Sauger
- Saugeye
- Scup
- Sheepshead
- Smallmouth Bass
- Southern Flounder
- Spanish Mackerel
- Spot
- Spotted Bass
- Spotted Seatrout
- Striped Bass
- Summer Flounder
- Tarpon
- Tautog
- Walleye
- Warmouth
- Weakfish
- White Bass
- White Catfish
- White Crappie
- White Perch
- Yellow Perch
Lakes in Virginia to fish in the next period
Virginia lake pages carry ramps, species, records and live levels where a gauge exists; each one links back here.
- Abel Reservoir
- Amelia Lake
- Back Bay
- Banister Lake
- Beaver Creek Reservoir
- Beaverdam Swamp Reservoir
- Briery Creek Lake
- Brunswick Lake
- Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir)
- Burke Lake
- Burnt Mills Reservoir
- Byllesby Lake
- Chickahominy Lake
- Claytor Lake
- Diascund Reservoir
- Emporia Reservoir
- Lake Anna
- Lake Chesdin
- Lake Gaston
- Lake Moomaw
- Leesville Reservoir
- Philpott Lake
- Smith Mountain Lake
- South Holston Reservoir
Questions on Virginia fishing times
What are the best fishing times today in Virginia?
In Virginia, the major periods: about 2 hours around the moon overhead and underfoot, then the minor periods around moonrise and moonset. Pick your county above; the list starts on Richmond (city).
How many Virginia counties does the list cover?
All 133 Virginia counties, each with its Census 2023 Gazetteer internal point and its own time zone.
Does Virginia have more than one time zone?
No. All 133 counties keep Eastern time. The widget still uses each county centre, so Virginia times shift a few minutes from east to west.
How much does sunrise differ across Virginia?
On June 21 the earliest sunrise is 5:42 a.m. in Accomack County and the latest 6:15 a.m. in Lee County, a 33 minute spread.
How long is the longest day around Richmond?
14 hours 45 minutes on the June solstice in Richmond (city); the December solstice gives 9 hours 34 minutes.
Is a major period better than a minor one in Virginia?
For Virginia anglers, solunar theory rates major periods (moon overhead or underfoot, about 2 hours) above minor ones (about 1 hour at moonrise and moonset). It is a traditional guide; Virginia weather and water conditions matter as much.
Why is there no major period on some Virginia days?
Over Virginia the moon passes overhead or underfoot about 50 minutes later each day, so roughly once a month one of the two falls just past midnight and that county day card shows a single major period.
Do solunar times change Virginia fishing rules?
No. Seasons, limits and hours come from the Virginia regulations; see the license and regulations page for Virginia.
Can I check the Virginia times against an official source?
Yes. The US Naval Observatory publishes sun and moon rise, set and transit times for any place and date; enter the county centre coordinates for a Virginia day.