Fishing in Montgomery County, Virginia
Government seat in Christiansburg; 99,721 residents at the 2020 Census.
- 1lake pages
- 3DWR launches
- 4river pages
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Old Dominion water in Montgomery County, in a few lines
Christiansburg serves as the seat of Montgomery County, home to 99,721 people at the last Census. Its own DWR lakes, ramps and piers are filed under DWR Region 3. New River is shared with a neighbouring state under the digest.
Of 1 lake pages reaching it, Pandapas Pond spreads widest. DWR records show 3 boating access sites across it. 71 stocking dates on the DWR trout schedule list 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.
Lake pages inside Montgomery County
| Lake | Area | Kind | DWR launches | Fish DWR names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pandapas Pond | 8 acres (DWR outline area) | pond | 0 | brook trout, rainbow trout, tiger trout |
Measured from Christiansburg, these lake pages are the closest outside Montgomery County.
| Lake | From Christiansburg | Area | Kind | DWR launches | Fish DWR names |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claytor Lake | 18 miles southwest | 4,363 acres | reservoir | 3 | alewife, black crappie, bluegill |
| Gatewood Reservoir | 26 miles west | 162 acres | reservoir | 0 | black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish |
| Fairy Stone Lake | 29 miles southeast | 168 acres | reservoir | 0 | bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass |
| Philpott Lake | 29 miles southeast | 2,880 acres | reservoir | 0 | alewife, black crappie, channel catfish |
| Franklin County Park Pond | 34 miles southeast | 2 acres (DWR outline area) | pond | 0 | brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout |
| Byllesby Lake | 39 miles southwest | 163 acres (DWR outline area) | lake | 1 |
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.
Counting species on lake pages by Montgomery County
Out to 50 miles from Christiansburg, crappie appears on the most lake pages DWR describes.
Species DWR names on waterbody pages and its fishing grid, counted per lake page within 50 miles; not a survey of fish numbers.
Rivers and trout streams of Montgomery County
- Craig Creek1 stocked trout reach, wild trout survey class VI, 18.6 km, 1 USGS gauge
- Poverty Creek1 stocked trout reach, wild trout survey class VI, 11.7 km
- Toms Creek1 stocked trout reach
- New River18 DWR launches, 5 USGS gauges, shared with NC
Additional flowing water through Montgomery County (5)
- Spring Branch, 05SPN-01wild trout survey class II, 7.5 km
- Mill Creek, 05MDA-01wild trout survey class II, 7.3 km
- Spring Branch, 05SPN-01Twild trout survey class II, 5.7 km
- Purgatory Creek, 05PUR-01Twild trout survey class III, 3.6 km
- Mill Creek, 05MDA-01Twild trout survey class II, 2.3 km
Live USGS flow across Montgomery County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| S F Roanoke River Near Shawsville, Va | 31 cfs, 0.45 ft gage height | Nov 13 8:20 pm |
| Roanoke River At Lafayette, Va | 52 cfs, 1.52 ft gage height | Nov 13 8:20 pm |
| Little River At White Oak Grove Rd Near Riner, Va | 1.80 ft gage height | Nov 13 8:00 pm |
| Little River At Graysontown, Va | 92 cfs, 1.06 ft gage height | Nov 13 7:30 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.
DWR launches across Montgomery County
- Claytor Dam boat ramp on New RiverNew River, concreate ramp (no dock), 1 ramp, freshwater
- Peppers Ferry boat ramp on New RiverNew River, gravel access, 1 ramp, barrier-free, freshwater
- Whitethorne boat ramp on New RiverNew River, concrete ramp (no dock), 1 ramp, freshwater
Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations layer (attributes as recorded; lanes, fees and hours are not in the layer), read November 6, 2026.
Stocked trout water in Montgomery County
| Date | Water as listed | Category | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 2026 | Craig Creek | B | Rainbow Trout |
| May 4, 2026 | Toms Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout |
| May 2, 2026 | Pandapas Pond | A | Rainbow Trout |
| April 27, 2026 | Craig Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout |
| April 15, 2026 | Toms Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout |
| April 10, 2026 | Pandapas Pond | A | Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout |
| April 10, 2026 | Poverty Creek | C | Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout |
| March 30, 2026 | Craig Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout |
| March 23, 2026 | Toms Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout |
| March 5, 2026 | Pandapas Pond | A | Rainbow Trout |
| March 5, 2026 | Poverty Creek | C | Rainbow Trout |
| February 19, 2026 | Poverty Creek | C | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout |
| February 19, 2026 | Toms Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout |
| January 9, 2026 | Craig Creek | B | Rainbow Trout |
| December 23, 2025 | Craig Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout |
| December 4, 2025 | Pandapas Pond | A | Rainbow Trout |
| November 6, 2025 | Pandapas Pond | A | Rainbow Trout |
| May 9, 2025 | Toms Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout |
| May 7, 2025 | Craig Creek | B | Rainbow Trout |
| May 3, 2025 | Pandapas Pond | A | Rainbow Trout |
Montgomery County waters in the 2026 trout plan
| Water | County or city as printed | Category | Category meaning | National forest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Creek | Montgomery County | B | stocked 5 times between October 1 and May 15 | yes |
| Pandapas Pond | Montgomery County | B | stocked 5 times between October 1 and May 15 | yes |
| Poverty Creek | Montgomery County | C | stocked 3 times between October 1 and April 30 | yes |
| Toms Creek | Montgomery County | B | stocked 5 times between October 1 and May 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).
Bait counters a short drive from Montgomery County
- Rock House Marinamarina, Pulaski, 18 miles
- Greasy Creek Outfittersbait and tackle shop, Willis, 20 miles
- Sportsman's Warehouse, 3550 Ferncliff Ave NWsporting goods store, Roanoke, 26 miles
- Franklin Outdoorsbait and tackle shop, Rocky Mount, 31 miles
- Backwoods Outdoor Supplybait and tackle shop, Hillsville, 31 miles
Yellow Pages and chain store listings; straight-line miles from Christiansburg.
Statewide creel rows applied to Montgomery County
Start with the statewide table for Montgomery County, then check any water the digest lists by name. A year of Virginia freshwater fishing costs residents $23 and nonresidents $47; anglers under 16 need none.
| 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 |
Named-water rules across Montgomery County (3)
| Water | Species | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| New River–Fields Dam (Grayson County) downstream to the VA-WV state line and its tributaries Little River downstream from Little River Dam in Montgomery County, | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No largemouth or smallmouth bass 14 to 22 inches, only 1 per day longer than 22 inches |
| Claytor Lake and the New River upstream to Fries Dam in Grayson County | Walleye, Saugeye | 2 walleye per day; no walleye 19 to 28 inches |
| New River-Claytor Dam downstream to VA-WV state line | Muskellunge | 1 per day June 1–last day of February: No muskellunge 40 to 48 inches March 1–May 31: No muskellunge less than 48 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.
State record catches tied to Montgomery County
The nearest record waters to Montgomery County, all inside 70 miles, are below.
| Species | Weight as printed | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid Striped Bass | 15 lbs. 13 oz. | Claytor Lake | 2016 |
| Spotted Bass | 4 lbs. 12 oz. | Claytor Lake | 2020 |
| Common Carp | 45 lbs. 7 oz. | Claytor Lake | 2016 |
| Coho Salmon | 8 lbs. 12 oz. | Philpott Lake | 1971 |
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.
Around Montgomery County
Paged Virginia towns located in Montgomery County
- Blacksburgpop. 44,826
- Christiansburgpop. 23,348
- Merrimacpop. 2,858
Localities next to Montgomery County
- City of Radford10 miles west
- Roanoke County15 miles northeast
- Floyd County17 miles south
- Pulaski County20 miles southwest
Reels from Piscifun for the next trip to Montgomery County
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Shorelines around Montgomery County through a camera
Photo: Virginia State Parks, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Christopher Bowns, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Virginia State Parks, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Matt Walter, CC BY-SA 2.0
The lakes and streams of Montgomery County, answered
Which Montgomery County launches sit on the DWR access layer?
There are 3 boating access sites on DWR records, including Claytor Dam boat ramp on New River.
What is the biggest reservoir with a page in Montgomery County?
Pandapas Pond, at 8 acres (DWR outline area).
Which fish does DWR list for lakes near Montgomery County?
Crappie leads the count of lake pages within 50 miles, then largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish; DWR names them on its waterbody pages.
Where can I restock hooks and line in Montgomery County?
None inside; the shops band lists the closest.
Which Virginia town houses the Montgomery County offices?
Christiansburg is the seat.
Which Virginia license covers a Montgomery County trip?
A year of Virginia freshwater fishing costs residents $23 and nonresidents $47; anglers under 16 need none.
What locality pages sit beside Montgomery County?
Going by distance, City of Radford, Roanoke County and Floyd County come first.
Which DWR region number covers Montgomery County?
DWR lakes, ramps or piers inside it carry the number for DWR Region 3.
Which waters of Montgomery County have limits of their own?
The digest lists 3 water exceptions here, starting with New River–Fields Dam (Grayson County) downstream to the VA-WV state line and its tributari; the table above shows each.
Which waters of Montgomery County show up on the trout schedule?
The DWR schedule carries 71 stocking dates; the newest lists Rainbow Trout (May 5, 2026; category B) at Craig Creek.
Work the ponds and streams across Montgomery County
Check the digest exceptions before keeping fish.