Great Wicomico River Fishing
Virginia tidal river water in Northumberland County.
Pick for red drumPiscifun Alloy S inshore spinning reelCheck price at PiscifunPhoto of Eastern Shore of Virginia: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region, Public domain
What a Virginia angler should know about Great Wicomico River
Great Wicomico River is a tidal river on the Chesapeake Bay side, in Northumberland County. A run of roughly 9 miles links it with Kilmarnock.
Trailers go in at 2 saltwater launches near it. VMRC guide charts show 7 artificial reefs inside 25 miles. Water levels come from 2 water-level stations nearby. Saltwater limits from the Virginia Administrative Code govern it.
USGS GNIS named feature 1467451; Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations; NOAA CO-OPS; read November 6, 2026.
DWR saltwater access by Great Wicomico River
| Site | Recorded attributes | Owner | Location (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coopers boat ramp on Great Wicomico River | dock and ramp, 1 ramp, barrier-free, saltwater | VDOT | From Heathsville, Rt. 360 East (4) to Horse Head; R on Rt 707 (1.5) |
| Shell boat ramp on Great Wicomico River | dock and ramp, 2 ramps, saltwater | VDOT | Southeast on Rt 657 (2) of Reedville |
Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations layer (attributes as recorded; lanes, fees and hours are not in the layer), read November 6, 2026.
Saltwater rows for Great Wicomico River
| Species | Area | Size | Bag | Season | VAC section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black sea bass | Virginia tidal waters | 13 in minimum | 15 | 2026: May 11 through December 31; 2027: April 1 through December 31 | 4VAC20-950-45 |
| Bluefish | Virginia tidal waters | not stated | 5 | not stated | 4VAC20-450-20 |
| Cobia | Virginia tidal waters | 43 in minimum | 1 | June 15 through September 20 | 4VAC20-510-20 |
| Spanish mackerel | Virginia tidal waters | 14 in minimum | 15 | not stated | 4VAC20-540-30 |
| Summer flounder | Tidal waters except Potomac River tributaries | 16 in minimum | 4 | Open year-round (January 1 through May 31 size) | 4VAC20-620-50 |
| Summer flounder | Tidal waters except Potomac River tributaries | 17.5 in minimum | 4 | Open year-round (June 1 through December 31 size) | 4VAC20-620-50 |
| Summer flounder | Potomac River tributaries | not stated | not stated | not stated | 4VAC20-620-60 |
| Tautog | Virginia tidal waters | 16 in minimum | 4 | Closed May 16 through June 30 | 4VAC20-960-45 |
Limits on Great Wicomico River follow the VAC sections as of November 6, 2026.
Virginia Administrative Code, Title 4 Agency 20 (Marine Resources Commission) on law.lis.virginia.gov, as of November 6, 2026 (VMRC rules change by emergency order; check the VMRC regulations page before keeping fish).
A Virginia saltwater license is $17.50 for residents and $25 for nonresidents 16 and older.
Virginia license fees in the 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (licenses run one year from purchase unless noted), read November 6, 2026. Virginia Marine Resources Commission license fees, read November 6, 2026.
NOAA stations close to Great Wicomico River
| NOAA water-level station | ID | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Windmill Point | 8636580 | 14 miles |
| Lewisetta | 8635750 | 15 miles |
Predicted tides around Great Wicomico River
| Prediction station | Distance |
|---|---|
| Fleeton Point | 2 miles |
| Great Wicomico River Light | 2 miles |
| Glebe Point, Great Wicomico River | 4 miles |
| Sunnybank, Little Wicomico River | 5 miles |
NOAA hosts the numbers for Great Wicomico River; we link, not copy.
NOAA CO-OPS Tides & Currents station list, read November 6, 2026.
Structure on the bottom near Great Wicomico River
| Reef | Area | Distance | Clearance (ft, MLW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt Pile Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 7 miles | 15 |
| Northern Neck Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 8 miles | 20 |
| Windmill Point Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 14 miles | 15 |
| Nandua-Pungoteague Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 21 miles | 15 |
| Occohannock Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 24 miles | 15 |
| Anglers Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 24 miles | 15 |
| Gwynn Island Artificial Reef | Chesapeake Bay | 24 miles | 14 |
For Great Wicomico River, reef coordinates come from VMRC guide charts dated 2004 to 2009.
Virginia Marine Resources Commission saltwater angler guide reef charts, read November 7, 2026.
Harbor towns near Great Wicomico River
Named towns close to Great Wicomico River
- ReedvilleNorthumberland County, 2 miles
- KilmarnockLancaster County, 9 miles
Virginia Marine Resources Commission saltwater angler guide (c. 2008, names only); USGS GNIS populated places.
Within a tank of gas of Great Wicomico River
Neighbouring bays and creeks of Great Wicomico River
- Little Wicomico Rivertidal river, 6 miles
- Coan Rivertidal river, 14 miles
- Corrotoman Rivertidal river, 15 miles
- Yeocomico Rivertidal river, 19 miles
- Piankatank Rivertidal river, 20 miles
The bigger water past Great Wicomico River
- Chesapeake BayVirginia side
Inland fishing near Great Wicomico River
- Gardy’s Millpond20 miles
- Beaverdam Swamp Reservoir28 miles
- Chandler’s Mill Pond35 miles
Picking up minnows and bloodworms near Great Wicomico River
- Buzzard's Point Marinamarina, Reedville, 2 miles
- Reedville Marina Incmarina, Reedville, 2 miles
- Ingram Bay Marinamarina, Heathsville, 2 miles
- Smith Point Marinamarina, Reedville, 5 miles
- Chesapeake Boat Basinmarina, Kilmarnock, 9 miles
- Tackle Cove Outfittersbait and tackle shop, White Stone, 13 miles
Listed guide and charter outfits for Great Wicomico River
- Captain Billy's Charterscharter, Heathsville, (804) 580-7292
- Crabbe Charter Fishingcharter, Heathsville, (804) 453-3251
- Fisher's Bay Charters Captaincharter, Heathsville, (804) 580-2548
Old Dominion towns a quick hop from Great Wicomico River
- Kilmarnock9 miles, Lancaster County
- Warsaw27 miles, Richmond County
County and city guides tied to Great Wicomico River
- Northumberland Countycounty seat Heathsville
Piscifun kit lined up for a day on Great Wicomico River
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Old Dominion water near Great Wicomico River, on camera
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region, Public domain
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: schizoform, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Nannette Turner, CC BY 2.0
What a Virginia tackle counter hears about Great Wicomico River
What town is near Great Wicomico River?
It lies in Northumberland County, on the Chesapeake Bay side, about 9 miles from Kilmarnock.
How close is the nearest ramp to Great Wicomico River?
Use Coopers boat ramp on Great Wicomico River or another of the 2 saltwater launches.
Is Great Wicomico River fresh or salt water for licensing?
A Virginia saltwater license is $17.50 for residents and $25 for nonresidents 16 and older. No license under 16.
How many puppy drum can I keep from Great Wicomico River?
Red drum: 3 a day, 18-inch minimum, 26-inch maximum (4VAC20-1400-30), as of November 6, 2026.
What are the speckled trout rules on Great Wicomico River?
Speckled trout: 5 a day, 14-inch minimum (4VAC20-280-30); the code closes the season April 1 through June 30, 2026, as of November 6, 2026.
Do flounder sizes change during the year on Great Wicomico River?
Summer flounder: 4 a day, 16-inch minimum (4VAC20-620-50); the minimum rises June 1 per the code section, as of November 6, 2026.
Where does NOAA predict the tide near Great Wicomico River?
Fleeton Point is the closest NOAA prediction point, about 2 miles away.
Where do anglers fishing Great Wicomico River buy bloodworms?
Our list starts with Buzzard's Point Marina (about 2 miles away).
How many miles separate Great Wicomico River from a charted VMRC reef?
Asphalt Pile Artificial Reef is the closest VMRC guide reef, about 7 miles away (chart-grid midpoint, not a structure position).
For the red drum herePiscifun NautiX saltwater spinning reel14% OFFSale $94.99 Run out to Great Wicomico River on a calm morning
Check the VMRC rows before you keep fish.