Fishing in Albemarle County, Virginia
Government seat in Charlottesville; 112,395 residents at the 2020 Census.
- 9lake pages
- 4DWR launches
- 3river pages
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of James River: sdreelin, CC BY-SA 2.0
The angling picture for Albemarle County
Albemarle County keeps its government seat in Charlottesville and had 112,395 residents in the 2020 Census. DWR points here are numbered DWR Region 4.
9 lakes here carry a page, and Rivanna Reservoir covers the most surface. Count 4 boating access sites here on the DWR boating access layer. The DWR pier layer adds 2 fishing piers for fishing off a deck. The trout schedule shows 133 stocking dates tied to it.
Census 2020 population; Virginia DWR Public Fishing Lakes layer (outline, motor rule, region number), read November 6, 2026. Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations layer (attributes as recorded; lanes, fees and hours are not in the layer), read November 6, 2026. Virginia DWR trout stocking schedule (date, county, water, category and species as listed; DWR prints no numbers or sizes), read November 6, 2026.
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Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations layer (attributes as recorded; lanes, fees and hours are not in the layer), read November 6, 2026. Lake points from the Virginia DWR Public Fishing Lakes layer (outline, motor rule, region number), read November 6, 2026.
Reservoirs in Albemarle County worth backing a trailer into
| Lake | Area | Kind | DWR launches | Fish DWR names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivanna Reservoir | 450 acres | reservoir | 0 | bluegill, channel catfish, crappie |
| Ragged Mountain Reservoir | 170 acres | reservoir | 0 | |
| Beaver Creek Reservoir | 104 acres | reservoir | 1 | bluegill, channel catfish, largemouth bass |
| Totier Creek Reservoir | 66 acres | reservoir | 0 | channel catfish |
| Chris Greene Reservoir | 62 acres | reservoir | 0 | bluegill, channel catfish, crappie |
| Sugar Hollow | 47 acres | lake | 0 | brook trout, rainbow trout |
| Walnut Creek | 45 acres | reservoir | 0 | bluegill, channel catfish, crappie |
| Albemarle Lake | 35 acres | lake | 1 | black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish |
| Mint Springs | 4 acres (DWR outline area) | lake | 0 | channel catfish, brook trout, brown trout |
Acres are the NHD outline area of the mapped lake (USGS National Hydrography Dataset), not a DWR figure. Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations layer (attributes as recorded; lanes, fees and hours are not in the layer), read November 6, 2026.
Fish named most on lakes near Albemarle County
Tally the lake pages up to 50 miles from Charlottesville by species and channel catfish leads.
Species DWR names on waterbody pages and its fishing grid, counted per lake page within 50 miles; not a survey of fish numbers.
Smaller named water in Albemarle County
2 more named lakes and ponds of Albemarle County appear only in this list for now.
| Water | Kind | Area | Nearest town |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Fork Rivanna River Reservoir | reservoir | 399 acres (NHD outline area) | Hollymead |
| Scottsville Lake | lake | 4 acres |
Virginia DWR Public Fishing Lakes layer (outline, motor rule, region number), read November 6, 2026. Acres are the NHD outline area of the mapped lake (USGS National Hydrography Dataset), not a DWR figure.
Albemarle County river and creek listings
- Moormans River1 stocked trout reach, 1 USGS gauge
- James River (Upper and Middle)24 DWR launches, 8 USGS gauges
- Rivanna River2 DWR launches, 1 USGS gauge
Creeks in Albemarle County that stay on this list (7)
- Moormans River, NF1 stocked trout reach, wild trout survey class I, 10.6 km
- Doyles River1 stocked trout reach, wild trout survey class II, 8.8 km
- Moormans River, SFwild trout survey class III, 6.1 km
- Trib of North Fork Moormanswild trout survey class I, 3.1 km
- Big Branch, 10BGI-01wild trout survey class IV, 2.5 km
- Pond Ridge Branchwild trout survey class II, 2.4 km
- North Fork Moormans Riverriver
Live discharge inside Albemarle County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Mechums River Near White Hall, Va | 18 cfs, 4.41 ft gage height | Nov 13 7:45 pm |
| Moormans River Near Free Union, Va | 10 cfs, 3.00 ft gage height | Nov 13 7:45 pm |
| S F Rivanna River Near Charlottesville, Va | 33 cfs, 2.09 ft gage height | Nov 13 7:45 pm |
| N F Rivanna River Near Earlysville, Va | 17 cfs, 5.20 ft gage height | Nov 13 7:45 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 13, 2026 8:32 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
DWR waterbody pages, DWR Stocked Trout Reaches and Cold Water Stream Survey layers (wild trout classes and kilometres as recorded), DWR launches and USGS gauges (live readings); read November 6, 2026.
Commonwealth ramps and landings inside Albemarle County
- Beaver Creek Lake boat rampBeaver Creek Reservoir, dock and ramp, 1 ramp, freshwater
- Howardsville boat ramp on James River (Upper and Middle)James River (Upper and Middle), concrete ramp (no dock), 1 ramp, barrier-free, freshwater
- Lake Albemarle boat rampAlbemarle Lake, dock and ramp, 1 ramp, barrier-free, freshwater
- Scottsville boat ramp on James River (Upper and Middle)James River (Upper and Middle), concrete ramp (no dock), 1 ramp, barrier-free, freshwater
Pier listings in Albemarle County
- Chris Greene ParkChris Greene Reservoir, fishing pier
- Mint Springs Valley ParkMint Springs, fishing pier
Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations layer (attributes as recorded; lanes, fees and hours are not in the layer), read November 6, 2026. Virginia DWR Fishing Piers layer (name and water only), read November 6, 2026.
Trout stocking dates logged in Albemarle County
| Date | Water as listed | Category | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 29, 2026 | Scottsville Lake (Was Named: Mink Creek Reservoir) | A | Brown Trout |
| October 16, 2026 | Sugar Hollow Reservoir | A | Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout |
| October 9, 2026 | Mint Springs Lake (Upper) | A | Brown Trout |
| May 14, 2026 | Scottsville Lake (Was Named: Mink Creek Reservoir) | A | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| May 12, 2026 | Mint Springs Lake (Upper) | A | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout |
| May 12, 2026 | Moormans River (S. Fork) | B | Brook Trout |
| May 4, 2026 | Scottsville Lake (Was Named: Mink Creek Reservoir) | A | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| May 4, 2026 | Sugar Hollow Reservoir | A | Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout |
| April 27, 2026 | Scottsville Lake (Was Named: Mink Creek Reservoir) | A | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| April 23, 2026 | Mint Springs Lake (Upper) | A | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Tiger Trout |
| April 21, 2026 | Sugar Hollow Reservoir | A | Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout |
| April 13, 2026 | Moormans River (S. Fork) | B | Brook Trout |
| April 1, 2026 | Moormans River (S. Fork) | B | Brook Trout |
| March 28, 2026 | Mint Springs Lake (Upper) | A | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Tiger Trout |
| March 17, 2026 | Scottsville Lake (Was Named: Mink Creek Reservoir) | A | Rainbow Trout |
| March 17, 2026 | Sugar Hollow Reservoir | A | Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout |
| March 6, 2026 | Moormans River (S. Fork) | B | Brook Trout |
| March 4, 2026 | Scottsville Lake (Was Named: Mink Creek Reservoir) | A | Rainbow Trout |
| March 4, 2026 | Sugar Hollow Reservoir | A | Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout |
| February 26, 2026 | Moormans River (S. Fork) | B | Brook Trout |
Planned 2026 trout water in Albemarle County
| Water | County or city as printed | Category | Category meaning | National forest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mint Springs Lake (Upper) | Albemarle County | A | stocked 8 times between October 1 and May 31 | |
| Mint Springs Lake (Middle) | Albemarle County | A | stocked 8 times between October 1 and May 31 | |
| Moormans River (S. Fork) | Albemarle County | B | stocked 5 times between October 1 and May 15 | |
| Scottsville Lake | Albemarle County | A | stocked 8 times between October 1 and May 31 | |
| Sugar Hollow Reservoir | Albemarle County | A | stocked 8 times between October 1 and May 31 |
Digest trout listings naming Albemarle County
| Water | County or city as printed | Regulation | Trout license Oct 1 to Jun 15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Fork Moormans River | Albemarle | Catch and Release |
Virginia DWR trout stocking schedule (date, county, water, category and species as listed; DWR prints no numbers or sizes), read November 6, 2026 2026 Catchable Trout Stocking Plan (category letters as printed), read November 6, 2026. Special regulation trout waters 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. Designated stocked trout waters require a trout license October 1 to June 15; urban waters November 1 to April 30 (as printed).
Tackle a few miles outside Albemarle County
- Great Outdoort Provision Companybait and tackle shop, Charlottesville, 1 mile
- Albemarle Anglerfly shop, Charlottesville, 1 mile
- South River Fly Shopfly shop, Waynesboro, 22 miles
- Tycoon Tackle Incbait and tackle shop, Waynesboro, 22 miles
- Angler's Landingfly shop, Orange, 28 miles
Yellow Pages and chain store listings; straight-line miles from Charlottesville.
The 2026 digest table for Albemarle County
For Albemarle County, the statewide rows come first and water exceptions override them. DWR sells the annual freshwater license for $23 to residents and $47 to anglers who live elsewhere.
| Species | 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 |
| Striped Bass | Anadromous (coastal) striped bass above the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay and Crane Lake (City of Suffolk) | Creel and length limits shall be as set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for recreational fishing in tidal waters | no length limit printed |
| Striped Bass | Striped bass in the Meherrin, Nottoway, Blackwater (Chowan Drainage), North Landing and Northwest rivers and their tributaries plus Back Bay | No possession | no length limit printed |
| 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 |
| Hickory Shad | Above and below the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay and their tributaries | Creel and length limits shall be the same as those set by the Virginia Marine Resources Comm. in tidal rivers | no length limit printed |
| Hickory Shad | Meherrin River below Emporia Dam, Nottoway River, Blackwater River (Chowan Drainage), North Landing and Northwest rivers, and their tributaries plus Back Bay | 10 per day | No length limits |
| Anadromous (coastal) Alewife and Blueback Herring | Above and below the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay and their tributaries | Creel and length limits shall be the same as those set by the Virginia Marine Resources Comm. for these species in tidal rivers | no length limit printed |
| Other native or naturalized nongame fish | statewide | 20 per day | No length limits |
| Threatened and endangered species | statewide | No possession | no length limit printed |
| Grass Carp | statewide | No statewide daily limit | No statewide length limit |
| Longnose Gar | statewide | July 1 to April 14: 5 per day | April 15 to June 30: 1 per day No statewide length limits |
| Bowfin | statewide | July 1 to April 14: 5 per day | April 15 to June 30: 1 per day No statewide length limits |
| Northern Snakehead | statewide | No statewide daily limit | No statewide length limit |
| Spotted Sea Trout | Back Bay and tributaries, including Brinson’s Inlet Lake (Lake Tecumseh), and the North Landing River and its tributaries | 4 per day, no fish less than 14 inches | no length limit printed |
| Red Drum | Back Bay and tributaries, including Brinson’s Inlet Lake (Lake Tecumseh), and the North Landing River and its tributaries | 1 per day between 18 and 27 inches | no length limit printed |
| Grey Trout | Back Bay and tributaries, including Brinson’s Inlet Lake (Lake Tecumseh), and the North Landing River and its tributaries | 1 per day, no fish less than 12 inches | no length limit printed |
Water-by-water digest changes in Albemarle County (1)
| Water | Species | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| James River–Confluence of the Jackson and Cowpasture rivers (Botetourt Cty) downstream to the 14th St. Bridge in Richmond | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No largemouth or smallmouth bass 14 to 22 inches, only 1 per day longer than 22 inches |
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. Water-specific exceptions as printed, 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (eRegulations, linked from the Virginia DWR regulations page), read November 6, 2026. Virginia license fees in the 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (licenses run one year from purchase unless noted), read November 6, 2026.
Record-class fish near Albemarle County
The state record list skips water in Albemarle County; these record waters lie within 70 miles.
| Species | Weight as printed | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Bass | 6 lbs. 13 oz. | Lake Orange | 1989 |
| Brook Trout | 5 lbs. 15 oz. | Cub Run | 2019 |
| Northern Pike | 31 lbs. 4 oz. | Motts Run Reservoir | 1994 |
| Gar | 23 lbs | Pamunkey River | 2021 |
State Record Freshwater Fish as of 9-2-2025 (keeper: Virginia DWR (State Record Freshwater Fish list as of 9-2-2025); angler names left off here), read November 6, 2026.
Past the edges of Albemarle County
Lodging towns spread across Albemarle County
- Crozetpop. 9,224
- Hollymeadpop. 8,601
- University of Virginiapop. 7,909
- Pantopspop. 4,682
Close localities to Albemarle County
- City of Charlottesville4 miles east
- City of Waynesboro19 miles west
- Greene County19 miles north
- Fluvanna County20 miles southeast
Piscifun spinning gear for a day out on Albemarle County
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Old Dominion water near Albemarle County, on camera
Photo: Tony Alter, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Bill McChesney, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Virginia State Parks, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Wilbur Ince, CC BY 2.0
Fishing Albemarle County: common questions
How many DWR launches does Albemarle County have?
DWR access data has 4 boating access sites, such as Beaver Creek Lake boat ramp.
Which Albemarle County lake stretches widest?
Rivanna Reservoir, at 450 acres.
Which species top the DWR lists near Albemarle County?
Channel catfish leads the count of lake pages within 50 miles, then largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie; DWR names them on its waterbody pages.
Where do I find bait inside Albemarle County?
No shop is listed here; stores nearby appear above.
Which Virginia town hosts the courts of Albemarle County?
Its offices are in Charlottesville.
What license covers fishing in Albemarle County?
DWR sells the annual freshwater license for $23 to residents and $47 to anglers who live elsewhere.
Which counties and cities ring Albemarle County?
The nearest locality pages are City of Charlottesville, City of Waynesboro and Greene County.
Is Albemarle County in a numbered DWR region?
DWR lakes, ramps or piers inside it carry the number for DWR Region 4.
Which Albemarle County spots suit boatless anglers?
DWR shows 2 fishing piers, including Chris Greene Park.
Do any waters of Albemarle County carry digest exceptions?
The digest lists 1 water exception here, starting with James River–Confluence of the Jackson and Cowpasture rivers (Botetourt Cty) downstream to ; the table above shows each.
Does DWR stock trout in Albemarle County?
The DWR schedule carries 133 stocking dates; the newest lists Brown Trout (October 29, 2026; category A) at Scottsville Lake (Was Named: Mink Creek Reservoir).
Hook up the boat and head for Albemarle County
Open a lake for its launches and special rules.