Fishing in Henrico County, Virginia
Government seat in Laurel; 334,389 residents at the 2020 Census.
- 5lake pages
- 3DWR launches
- 2river pages
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Henrico County for fishing, in summary
At the 2020 count Henrico County had 334,389 residents and ran its business from Laurel. Within its lines, DWR data lists DWR Region 1.
Echo Lake is the largest of 5 local lakes with a page. DWR Boating Access Locations places 3 boating access sites inside its lines. DWR data also shows 1 fishing pier. DWR trout stocking data lists 18 stocking dates for its streams and lakes.
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.
Impoundments that fall in Henrico County
| Lake | Area | Kind | DWR launches | Fish DWR names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Echo Lake | 12 acres | lake | 0 | bluegill, bullhead, common carp |
| Three Lakes Park | 7 acres | lake | 0 | black crappie, bluegill, bowfin |
| Dorey Park Lake | 5 acres | reservoir | 0 | bluegill, brook trout, brown trout |
| Crump Park Pond | 2 acres | reservoir | 0 | black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish |
| Deep Run Park Ponds | 2 acres | pond | 0 | black crappie, bluegill, bullhead |
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.
Henrico County area lakes sorted by fish
Each bar counts lake pages within 50 miles of Laurel where DWR names the fish; bluegill comes up most often.
Species DWR names on waterbody pages and its fishing grid, counted per lake page within 50 miles; not a survey of fish numbers.
Waters of Henrico County without their own page
These 1 water of Henrico County stay listed until DWR publishes more about them.
| Water | Kind | Area | Nearest town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henrico County Parks Lakes | lake | 1 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.
Henrico County creeks and rivers
- Tidal James Rivertidal reach folded in, 6 DWR launches
- James River (Upper and Middle)24 DWR launches, 8 USGS gauges
Henrico County stream gauges, live
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| James River And Kanawha Canal Near Richmond, Va | 162 cfs, 6.68 ft gage height | Nov 12 7:30 pm |
| James River Near Richmond, Va | 1,050 cfs, 3.44 ft gage height | Nov 12 7:30 pm |
| Unnamed Trib At Oakleys Ln Nr Richmond, Va | 2.66 ft gage height | Nov 12 8:25 pm |
| Fourmile Creek Near Richmond Heights, Va | 4.51 ft gage height | Nov 12 8:25 pm |
| Fourmile Creek At Kingsland Rd Nr Varina, Va | 0.42 ft gage height | Nov 12 8:25 pm |
| Upham Brook At Spring Pk At Rt 161 At Richmond, Va | 4.02 ft gage height | Nov 12 8:25 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 12, 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.
Henrico County boating access on the DWR layer
- Deep Bottom boat ramp on Tidal James RiverTidal James River, dock and ramp, 2 ramps, barrier-free, freshwater
- Huguenot Bridge boat ramp on James River (Upper and Middle)James River (Upper and Middle), hand launch (boat slide), freshwater
- Osborne boat ramp on Tidal James RiverTidal James River, dock & ramp, 6 ramps, barrier-free, freshwater
Piers and platforms across Henrico County
- Osborne fishing pier on James RiverJames River, 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.
Hatchery trout deliveries to Henrico County
| Date | Water as listed | Category | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 4, 2026 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| February 19, 2026 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout |
| January 5, 2026 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout |
| December 1, 2025 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout |
| November 3, 2025 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout |
| March 20, 2025 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout |
| February 18, 2025 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| January 29, 2025 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout |
| December 6, 2024 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| November 1, 2024 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| March 8, 2024 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| February 14, 2024 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| January 11, 2024 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| December 8, 2023 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| November 2, 2023 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| March 9, 2023 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| February 9, 2023 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| January 12, 2023 | Dorey Park Lake | U | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
Trout plan listings for Henrico County
| Water | County or city as printed | Category | Category meaning | National forest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorey Park Lake | Henrico County | 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).
Creel and length rows that cover Henrico County
Statewide creel and length rows cover Henrico County except where the digest singles out a water. Residents buy the yearly freshwater license at $23; out-of-state anglers spend $47.
| 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 |
Digest exceptions for Henrico County water (2)
| 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 |
| James River and its tributaries below the fall line downstream to a line connecting Hog Point on Hog Island (Surry County) and the downstream point of the mouth | Blue | No daily limit, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 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 weights from water of Henrico County
No water of Henrico County appears on the record list, but these nearby ones do.
| Species | Weight as printed | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gar | 23 lbs | Pamunkey River | 2021 |
| Channel Catfish | 32 lbs. | Lake Chesdin | 1980 |
| Bowfin | 17 lbs. 8 oz. | Chickahominy Lake | 1964 |
| 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.
Virginia tackle and captain listings in Henrico County
Marinas and bait counters inside Henrico County
- Fin and Skin Taxidermy & Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Henrico
- Pope's Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Sandston
Yellow Pages and chain store listings; guide and charter business listings (matched by the waters they list or their locality), read November 6, 2026.
Neighbouring pages for Henrico County
Town listings for Henrico County
- Tuckahoepop. 48,051
- Short Pumppop. 30,626
- Laurelpop. 17,769
- Highland Springspop. 16,604
- Glen Allenpop. 16,187
- East Highland Parkpop. 15,131
- Lakesidepop. 12,203
- Wyndhampop. 11,087
- Innsbrookpop. 8,998
- Dumbartonpop. 8,506
- Montrosepop. 7,909
- Sandstonpop. 7,779
- Chamberlaynepop. 5,581
Neighbours of Henrico County
- City of Hopewell10 miles south
- City of Richmond12 miles northwest
- City of Colonial Heights13 miles southwest
- Charles City County15 miles east
A Piscifun spread to take to Henrico County
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Old Dominion water near Henrico County, on camera
Photo: Jim, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: schizoform, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Tony Alter, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Henrico County fishing, asked and answered
Can the public launch a boat inside Henrico County?
DWR lists 3 boating access sites; Deep Bottom boat ramp on Tidal James River comes first.
Which Henrico County lake has the most surface?
Echo Lake, at 12 acres.
What species does DWR name on lakes around Henrico County?
Bluegill leads the count of lake pages within 50 miles, then largemouth bass, channel catfish and crappie; DWR names them on its waterbody pages.
Where does a Henrico County angler buy bait?
Start at Fin and Skin Taxidermy & Bait Shop; the local list has 2.
In which town are the Henrico County offices?
The seat is Laurel.
What does a visitor pay to fish in Henrico County?
Residents buy the yearly freshwater license at $23; out-of-state anglers spend $47.
Which Virginia counties and cities are close to Henrico County?
Look at City of Hopewell, City of Richmond and City of Colonial Heights next.
Does DWR number a region for Henrico County?
DWR lakes, ramps or piers inside it carry the number for DWR Region 1.
Is there a fishing pier in Henrico County?
DWR pier data has 1 fishing pier; Osborne fishing pier on James River is one.
Do any lakes in Henrico County break from the statewide rows?
The digest lists 2 water exceptions here, starting with James River–Confluence of the Jackson and Cowpasture rivers (Botetourt Cty) downstream to ; the table above shows each.
Is trout water in Henrico County stocked?
The DWR schedule carries 18 stocking dates; the newest lists Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout (March 4, 2026; category U) at Dorey Park Lake.
Fish Henrico County over a long weekend
River pages carry USGS gauges that update on their own.