Fishing in Lee County, Virginia
Government seat in Jonesville; 22,173 residents at the 2020 Census.
- 1lake pages
- 4DWR launches
- 4river pages
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How Lee County stacks up for a rod and reel
The 2020 Census counted 22,173 people across Lee County, with Jonesville as the seat. DWR layer points inside it carry the number for DWR Region 3.
Biggest among 1 local lake pages: Lake Keokee. The boundary holds 4 boating access sites by the DWR access count. Boatless fishing comes from 1 fishing pier in DWR data. The DWR trout schedule holds 86 stocking dates naming 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.
Lakes and reservoirs filed under Lee County
| Lake | Area | Kind | DWR launches | Fish DWR names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Keokee | 92 acres | reservoir | 1 | bluegill, channel catfish, largemouth bass |
Few lake pages fall inside Lee County, so the nearest ones beyond it are measured from Jonesville.
| Lake | From Jonesville | Area | Kind | DWR launches | Fish DWR names |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bark Camp Lake | 35 miles east | 61 acres | lake | 1 | black crappie, bluegill, bullhead |
| North Fork Pound Reservoir | 39 miles northeast | 154 acres | reservoir | 0 | bluegill, common carp, channel catfish |
| Flannagan Reservoir | 55 miles northeast | 1,143 acres | reservoir | 0 | bluegill, common carp, channel catfish |
| Hidden Valley Lake | 58 miles east | 61 acres | reservoir | 1 | black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish |
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.
A tally of DWR-listed fish around Lee County
Bars show how many lake pages within 100 miles of Jonesville name each fish; bluegill is first.
Species DWR names on waterbody pages and its fishing grid, counted per lake page within 100 miles; not a survey of fish numbers.
Lee County ponds and lakes kept to a list
Inside Lee County, 1 further named waters get a table row instead of a page.
| Water | Kind | Area | Nearest town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herb Smith Lake | lake | 186 acres (NHD outline area) | Pennington Gap |
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.
Current to cast in Lee County
- Powell River2 stocked trout reaches, 3 DWR launches, 2 USGS gauges
- Hardy Creek1 stocked trout reach, wild trout survey class VI, 10.3 km
- Indian Creek1 stocked trout reach
- North Fork Powell River2 stocked trout reaches
Unpaged Virginia streams in Lee County, as rows (14)
- Martins Creek Section2 stocked trout reaches
- Wallen Creekwild trout survey class VI, 18.0 km
- Martin Creekwild trout survey class VI, 14.7 km
- Dry Branchwild trout survey class VI, 14.3 km
- Lone Branchwild trout survey class VI, 6.3 km
- Station Creekwild trout survey class VI, 5.2 km
- Lick Branchwild trout survey class VI, 5.1 km
- Shafer Creekwild trout survey class VI, 4.9 km
- Machine Branchwild trout survey class VI, 4.1 km
- Poor Valley Branchwild trout survey class VI, 4.1 km
- Fleenortown Creekwild trout survey class VI, 3.7 km
- White Branchwild trout survey class VI, 3.6 km
- Sims Creekwild trout survey class VI, 1.7 km
- Batie Creekwild trout survey class VI, 1.2 km
Lee County USGS stations
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Powell River Near Jonesville, Va | 80 cfs, 1.51 ft gage height | Nov 12 5:45 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 12, 2026 6:33 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.
Trailer-ready DWR sites around Lee County
- Beech Grove boat ramp on Powell RiverPowell River, canoe slide concrete and wooden stairs ramp, freshwater
- Flanary Bridge boat ramp on Powell RiverPowell River, canoe slide concrete and wooden stairs ramp, freshwater
- Lake Keokee boat rampLake Keokee, concrete ramp (no dock), 1 ramp, barrier-free, freshwater
- Poteet Ferry boat ramp on Powell RiverPowell River, canoe slide concrete and wooden stairs ramp, freshwater
Fishing piers of Lee County
- Keokee Lake fishing pierLake Keokee, 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 plan and stocking rows for Lee County
| Date | Water as listed | Category | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 8, 2026 | Hardy Creek | DH | Rainbow Trout |
| October 8, 2026 | Indian Creek | DH | Rainbow Trout |
| October 8, 2026 | Martins Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
| October 2, 2026 | North Fork Powell River | A | Rainbow Trout |
| May 22, 2026 | Martins Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
| May 22, 2026 | North Fork Powell River | A | Rainbow Trout |
| April 28, 2026 | Martins Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
| April 28, 2026 | North Fork Powell River | A | Rainbow Trout |
| April 8, 2026 | North Fork Powell River | A | Brook Trout |
| April 6, 2026 | Martins Creek | A | Brook Trout |
| April 6, 2026 | Indian Creek | DH | Brook Trout |
| April 6, 2026 | Hardy Creek | DH | Brook Trout |
| March 23, 2026 | Martins Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
| March 23, 2026 | North Fork Powell River | A | Brown Trout |
| March 10, 2026 | North Fork Powell River | A | Rainbow Trout |
| March 4, 2026 | Martins Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
| March 4, 2026 | Indian Creek | DH | Rainbow Trout |
| March 4, 2026 | Hardy Creek | DH | Rainbow Trout |
| January 6, 2026 | Martins Creek | A | Rainbow Trout |
| January 6, 2026 | North Fork Powell River | A | Rainbow Trout |
The 2026 stocking plan for Lee County
| Water | County or city as printed | Category | Category meaning | National forest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardy Creek | Lee County | DH | Delayed Harvest, special regulations, stocked 3 times | |
| Indian Creek | Lee County | DH | Delayed Harvest, special regulations, stocked 3 times | |
| Martins Creek | Lee County | A | stocked 8 times between October 1 and May 31 | |
| North Fork Powell River | Lee County | A | stocked 8 times between October 1 and May 31 |
Special regulation trout water in Lee County
| Water | County or city as printed | Regulation | Trout license Oct 1 to Jun 15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardy Creek | Lee | Delayed Harvest | yes |
| Indian Creek | Lee | Delayed Harvest | yes |
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 shops just past Lee County
- Colgard Outdoor Sportsbait and tackle shop, Norton, 33 miles
- Wally's Sporting Goodsbait and tackle shop, Gate City, 33 miles
- Eastern Fishing and Rental Toolsbait and tackle shop, Norton, 34 miles
- Mountain Sports LTDbait and tackle shop, Bristol, 51 miles
- Just Fish'nbait and tackle shop, Bristol, 55 miles
Yellow Pages and chain store listings; straight-line miles from Jonesville.
Keeper counts in force across Lee County
Freshwater in Lee County follows the statewide rows below unless the digest names a water as an exception. Budget $23 for the resident freshwater license, or $47 as a nonresident.
| 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 |
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 license fees in the 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (licenses run one year from purchase unless noted), read November 6, 2026.
Heaviest Virginia catches by Lee County
Lee County holds no state record water, so the closest ones follow.
| Species | Weight as printed | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sauger | 3 lbs. | Clinch River | 2010 |
| Spotted Bass | 6 lbs. 10 oz. | Flannagan Reservoir | 1976 |
| Yellow Perch | 3 lbs. | Flannagan Reservoir | 2010 |
| Sauger | 5 lbs. 8 oz. | South Holston Reservoir | 1972 |
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.
Onward from Lee County
Communities within Lee County
- Pennington Gappop. 1,624
The counties and cities ringing Lee County
- Scott County29 miles east
- City of Norton32 miles northeast
- Wise County34 miles northeast
- Dickenson County53 miles northeast
Piscifun tackle that suits Lee County
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Lakes, tidewater and stream riffles close to Lee County, in pictures
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region, Public domain
Photo: Jason Riedy, CC BY 2.0
Photo: LookoutBelle, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Jason Riedy, CC BY 2.0
Replies for Lee County anglers
At which launches can a trailer back down within Lee County?
You can pick from 4 boating access sites, Beech Grove boat ramp on Powell River among them.
What is the largest lake page inside Lee County?
Lake Keokee, at 92 acres.
Which fish live in the lakes around Lee County, per DWR?
Bluegill leads the count of lake pages within 100 miles, then channel catfish, crappie and rainbow trout; DWR names them on its waterbody pages.
What tackle sellers do the listings show in Lee County?
No listed store falls inside it; the nearest are in the band above.
Where is Lee County government business done?
Courthouse business happens in Jonesville.
What does DWR charge to fish in Lee County?
Budget $23 for the resident freshwater license, or $47 as a nonresident.
Which localities border Lee County?
Scott County, City of Norton and Wise County sit closest on the map.
Which region does DWR data give Lee County?
DWR lakes, ramps or piers inside it carry the number for DWR Region 3.
Where can children fish from a deck in Lee County?
Start with Keokee Lake fishing pier; DWR lists 1 fishing pier.
When did DWR last stock trout in Lee County?
The DWR schedule carries 86 stocking dates; the newest lists Rainbow Trout (October 8, 2026; category DH) at Hardy Creek.
Spend a sunrise on the water in Lee County
Each launch name opens a directions link.