Fishing in City of Hampton, Virginia
Independent city; 137,148 residents at the 2020 Census.
- 1lake pages
- 1DWR launches
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Norfolk: Doug Lewis, CC BY 2.0
The angling picture for City of Hampton
City of Hampton is one of 38 independent cities in Virginia and counted 137,148 residents in the 2020 Census. DWR points here are numbered DWR Region 1. On the coast side it has 2 coast pages and 1 saltwater launch.
1 lake here carry a page, and Sandy Bottom Park Pond covers the most surface. Count 1 boating access site here on the DWR boating access layer. The DWR pier layer adds 1 fishing pier for fishing off a deck. The trout schedule shows 18 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.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 The fishing map of City of Hampton
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 City of Hampton worth backing a trailer into
| Lake | Area | Kind | DWR launches | Fish DWR names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Bottom Park Pond | 465 acres | pond | 0 | black crappie, bluegill, common carp |
Beyond the City of Hampton line, these lake pages are the shortest drives from Hampton.
| Lake | From Hampton | Area | Kind | DWR launches | Fish DWR names |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Biggins | 9 miles west | 60 acres | lake | 0 | bluegill, brown trout, bullhead |
| Lake Whitehurst | 11 miles southeast | 838 acres (DWR outline area) | lake | 0 | |
| Harwood’s Mill Reservoir | 12 miles northwest | 265 acres | reservoir | 0 | black crappie, bluegill, chain pickerel |
| Trashmore Lake | 18 miles southeast | 52 acres | lake | 0 | common carp, largemouth bass, white perch |
| Lone Star Lakes | 20 miles southwest | 50 acres | lake | 1 | blue catfish, bluegill, channel catfish |
| Lee Hall Reservoir | 20 miles northwest | 230 acres | reservoir | 0 | black crappie, bluegill, crappie |
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.
Bay, inlet and tidal river fishing in City of Hampton
The Chesapeake Bay page holds the VAC limits for the whole bay; local tidal pages come next.
- Back Rivertidal river, bay side
- Hampton Roadsbay, bay side
Tidal boating access across City of Hampton
- Fox Hill boat ramp on Back RiverBack River, dock and ramp & separate hand launch, 3 ramps, barrier-free, saltwater
USGS GNIS names and points for bays, inlets and tidal rivers; 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 City of Hampton
Tally the lake pages up to 50 miles from Hampton by species and largemouth bass 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 City of Hampton
2 more named lakes and ponds of City of Hampton appear only in this list for now.
| Water | Kind | Area | Nearest town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bethel Reservoir | reservoir | 160 acres (NHD outline area) | Bethel Manor |
| Armistead Point Park | lake | Bethel Manor |
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.
Commonwealth ramps and landings inside City of Hampton
- Fox Hill boat ramp on Back RiverBack River, dock and ramp & separate hand launch, 3 ramps, barrier-free, saltwater
Pier listings in City of Hampton
- Sandy Bottom Nature Park on Sandy Bottom Park PondSandy Bottom Park Pond, 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 City of Hampton
| Date | Water as listed | Category | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 20, 2026 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout |
| February 18, 2026 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout |
| January 14, 2026 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout |
| December 8, 2025 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout |
| November 24, 2025 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| March 21, 2025 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout |
| February 13, 2025 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| January 31, 2025 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout |
| December 19, 2024 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| November 21, 2024 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| March 22, 2024 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| February 15, 2024 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout |
| January 24, 2024 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| December 20, 2023 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| November 16, 2023 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| March 16, 2023 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Brown Trout, Brook Trout |
| February 15, 2023 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout |
| January 11, 2023 | Armistead Pointe Park Pond | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
Planned 2026 trout water in City of Hampton
| Water | County or city as printed | Category | Category meaning | National forest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armistead Point Park Pond | Hampton City | U | urban fishing waters, trout license required November 1 through April 30, stocked 5 times between November 1 and April 15 |
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. Designated stocked trout waters require a trout license October 1 to June 15; urban waters November 1 to April 30 (as printed).
The 2026 digest table for City of Hampton
For City of Hampton, 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. Fishing the salt side means a $17.50 resident or $25 nonresident saltwater license.
| 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 |
Tidal limits that reach City of Hampton
| Species | Area | Size | Bag | Season | VAC section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Striped bass | Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries (spring/summer) | 19 in minimum, 24 in maximum | 1 | May 16 through June 15 | 4VAC20-252-80 |
| Striped bass | Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries (fall) | 19 in minimum, 24 in maximum | 1 | October 4 through December 31 | 4VAC20-252-90 |
| Striped bass | Potomac River tributaries | 19 in minimum, 24 in maximum | 1 | May 16 through July 6 and August 21 through December 31 | 4VAC20-252-100 |
| Striped bass | Coastal area | 28 in minimum, 31 in maximum | 1 | January 1 through March 31 and May 16 through December 31 | 4VAC20-252-110 |
| Striped bass | All Virginia waters | not stated | not stated | not stated | 4VAC20-252-50 |
| Speckled trout | Virginia tidal waters | 14 in minimum | 5 | Closed April 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026 | 4VAC20-280-30 |
| Black drum | Virginia tidal waters | 16 in minimum | 1 | not stated | 4VAC20-320-40 |
| Grey trout (weakfish) | Virginia tidal waters | 12 in minimum | 1 | not stated | 4VAC20-380-60 |
| Bluefish | Virginia tidal waters | not stated | 5 | not stated | 4VAC20-450-20 |
| Sharks (recreationally permitted) | Vessel: one per trip per vessel; shore angler: one per calendar day | 54 in minimum | 1 | not stated | 4VAC20-490-40 |
| Cobia | Virginia tidal waters | 43 in minimum | 1 | June 15 through September 20 | 4VAC20-510-20 |
| Amberjack | Virginia tidal waters | 32 in minimum | 2 | not stated | 4VAC20-510-20 |
| Spanish mackerel | Virginia tidal waters | 14 in minimum | 15 | not stated | 4VAC20-540-30 |
| King mackerel | Virginia tidal waters | 27 in minimum | 3 | not stated | 4VAC20-540-30 |
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 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). 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 City of Hampton
The state record list skips water in City of Hampton; these record waters lie within 70 miles.
| Species | Weight as printed | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Catfish | 7 lbs. 6 oz. | Western Branch Reservoir | 1992 |
| Common Carp | 49 lbs. 4 oz. | Lake Prince | 1986 |
| Gar | 25 lbs. 2 oz. | Lake Prince | 1987 |
| Bowfin | 10 lbs. 12 oz. | Chickahominy River | 2016 |
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.
Tackle shops and guides for City of Hampton
City of Hampton tackle counters
- I Cooper's Marine Suppliesbait and tackle shop, Hampton
- Sandman Hook & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Hampton
- Wallace's Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Hampton
- Bass Pro Shops, 1972 Power Plant Pkwysporting goods store, Hampton
- Bell Isle Marinamarina, Hampton
- Customs House Marinamarina, Hampton
- Dandy Haven Marinamarina, Hampton
- Joy's Marina Incmarina, Hampton
- Marina Cove Boat Basinmarina, Hampton
- Safe Harbor Bluewatermarina, Hampton
- Salt Ponds Marina Resortmarina, Hampton
- Southall Landings Marinamarina, Hampton
- Sunset Boating Centermarina, Hampton
City of Hampton guide listings
- Captain Hogg's Charterscharter, Hampton, (757) 876-1590
- Four Winds Charteringcharter, Hampton, (757) 713-2275
- Hampton Roads Charterscharter, Hampton, (757) 868-3474
- Seaduction Fishingcharter, Hampton, (757) 329-5137
Yellow Pages and chain store listings; guide and charter business listings (matched by the waters they list or their locality), read November 6, 2026.
Past the edges of City of Hampton
Lodging towns spread across City of Hampton
- Hamptonpop. 137,148
Close localities to City of Hampton
- City of Poquoson6 miles north
- City of Norfolk9 miles south
- City of Newport News13 miles west
- York County13 miles northwest
Piscifun spinning gear for a day out on City of Hampton
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Old Dominion water near City of Hampton, on camera
Photo: Watts, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Watts, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Fishing City of Hampton: common questions
How many DWR launches does City of Hampton have?
DWR access data has 1 boating access site, such as Fox Hill boat ramp on Back River.
Which City of Hampton lake stretches widest?
Sandy Bottom Park Pond, at 465 acres.
Which species top the DWR lists near City of Hampton?
Largemouth bass leads the count of lake pages within 50 miles, then crappie, bluegill and redear sunfish; DWR names them on its waterbody pages.
Where do I find bait inside City of Hampton?
It has 13 listed, I Cooper's Marine Supplies among them.
What population did the 2020 Census give City of Hampton?
About 137,148, per the 2020 Census.
What license covers fishing in City of Hampton?
DWR sells the annual freshwater license for $23 to residents and $47 to anglers who live elsewhere. Fishing the salt side means a $17.50 resident or $25 nonresident saltwater license.
Which counties and cities ring City of Hampton?
The nearest locality pages are City of Poquoson, City of Norfolk and City of Newport News.
Is City of Hampton in a numbered DWR region?
DWR lakes, ramps or piers inside it carry the number for DWR Region 1.
Which City of Hampton spots suit boatless anglers?
DWR shows 1 fishing pier, including Sandy Bottom Nature Park on Sandy Bottom Park Pond.
Does DWR stock trout in City of Hampton?
The DWR schedule carries 18 stocking dates; the newest lists Rainbow Trout (March 20, 2026; category U) at Armistead Pointe Park Pond.
Can I fish tidal water from City of Hampton?
On the coast side it has 2 coast pages and 1 saltwater launch.
Hook up the boat and head for City of Hampton
Open a lake for its launches and special rules.