Fishing in Warren County, Virginia
Government seat in Front Royal; 40,727 residents at the 2020 Census.
- 0fishing piers
- 7DWR launches
- 5river pages
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Warren County for fishing, in summary
At the 2020 count Warren County had 40,727 residents and ran its business from Front Royal. Within its lines, DWR data lists DWR Region 4.
DWR Boating Access Locations places 7 boating access sites inside its lines. DWR trout stocking data lists 31 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 Warren County
Past the Warren County line come these lake pages, each with its distance from Front Royal.
| Lake | From Front Royal | Area | Kind | DWR launches | Fish DWR names |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Frederick | 9 miles north | 117 acres | reservoir | 1 | black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish |
| Lake Thompson | 10 miles east | 10 acres | lake | 0 | brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout |
| Wilkins Lake | 17 miles north | 3 acres (DWR outline area) | lake | 0 | crappie, largemouth bass |
| Bealers Ferry Pond | 18 miles southwest | 8 acres | pond | 0 | bluegill, channel catfish, largemouth bass |
| Arrowhead Lake | 23 miles southwest | 39 acres | reservoir | 0 | bluegill, common carp, channel catfish |
| Clearbrook Lake | 23 miles north | 3 acres (DWR outline area) | lake | 0 | common carp, 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.
Warren County area lakes sorted by fish
Each bar counts lake pages within 50 miles of Front Royal where DWR names the fish; largemouth bass 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.
Warren County creeks and rivers
- North Fork Shenandoah River3 stocked trout reaches, 6 DWR launches, 3 USGS gauges
- Passage Creek2 stocked trout reaches, 1 USGS gauge
- Happy Creek1 stocked trout reach
- South Fork Shenandoah River15 DWR launches, 3 USGS gauges
- Shenandoah River4 DWR launches
Further named Virginia creeks in Warren County (3)
- Flint Runwild trout survey class VI, 11.4 km
- Lands Runwild trout survey class II, 5.0 km
- Gooney Runwild trout survey class II, 4.7 km
Warren County stream gauges, live
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| S F Shenandoah River At Front Royal, Va | 323 cfs, 1.10 ft gage height | Nov 13 7:15 pm |
| N F Shenandoah River Near Strasburg, Va | 131 cfs, 1.83 ft gage height | Nov 13 6:30 pm |
| Passage Creek Near Buckton, Va | 8 cfs, 3.09 ft gage height | Nov 13 6:45 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 13, 2026 7:33 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.
Warren County boating access on the DWR layer
- Bentonville boat ramp on South Fork Shenandoah RiverSouth Fork Shenandoah River, gravel access, freshwater
- Catletts Ford Landing on North Fork Shenandoah RiverNorth Fork Shenandoah River, gravel access, freshwater
- Front Royal boat ramp on Shenandoah RiverShenandoah River, concrete ramp (no dock), freshwater
- Karo boat ramp on South Fork Shenandoah RiverSouth Fork Shenandoah River, gravel access, freshwater
- Morgan's Ford boat ramp on Shenandoah RiverShenandoah River, gravel access, freshwater
- Riverton boat ramp on North Fork Shenandoah RiverNorth Fork Shenandoah River, dock and ramp, 1 ramp, freshwater
- Simpson's boat ramp on South Fork Shenandoah RiverSouth Fork Shenandoah River, concrete ramp (no dock), freshwater
Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations layer (attributes as recorded; lanes, fees and hours are not in the layer), read November 6, 2026.
Hatchery trout deliveries to Warren County
| Date | Water as listed | Category | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 16, 2026 | Passage Creek | DH | Brown Trout |
| May 19, 2026 | Happy Creek | B | Brown Trout |
| April 24, 2026 | Happy Creek | B | Rainbow Trout |
| March 12, 2026 | Passage Creek | DH | Brown Trout, Brook Trout |
| March 6, 2026 | Happy Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout |
| February 25, 2026 | Happy Creek | B | Rainbow Trout |
| January 14, 2026 | Passage Creek | DH | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| November 20, 2025 | Happy Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| October 3, 2025 | Passage Creek | DH | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| May 13, 2025 | Happy Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| April 28, 2025 | Passage Creek | DH | Rainbow Trout |
| April 25, 2025 | Happy Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout |
| March 13, 2025 | Happy Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| February 21, 2025 | Happy Creek | B | Rainbow Trout |
| December 12, 2024 | Passage Creek | DH | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| November 1, 2024 | Happy Creek | B | Rainbow Trout |
| October 10, 2024 | Passage Creek | DH | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| May 10, 2024 | Happy Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout |
| April 18, 2024 | Happy Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
| March 12, 2024 | Happy Creek | B | Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout |
Trout plan listings for Warren County
| Water | County or city as printed | Category | Category meaning | National forest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy Creek | Warren County | B | stocked 5 times between October 1 and May 15 | |
| Passage Creek | Warren County | DH | Delayed Harvest, special regulations, stocked 3 times | yes |
Warren County trout streams with their own rules
| Water | County or city as printed | Regulation | Trout license Oct 1 to Jun 15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passage Creek | Warren | 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).
Creel and length rows that cover Warren County
Statewide creel and length rows cover Warren 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 Warren County water (1)
| Water | Species | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| North Fork, South Fork and Mainstem Shenandoah River | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No largemouth or smallmouth bass 11 to 14 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 Warren County
No water of Warren County appears on the record list, but these nearby ones do.
| Species | Weight as printed | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brook Trout | 5 lbs. 15 oz. | Cub Run | 2019 |
| White Bass | 6 lbs. 13 oz. | Lake Orange | 1989 |
| Northern Pike | 31 lbs. 4 oz. | Motts Run Reservoir | 1994 |
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 Warren County
Marinas and bait counters inside Warren County
- Gregory's Lakeside Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Front Royal
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 Warren County
Town listings for Warren County
- Front Royalpop. 15,011
- Shenandoah Farmspop. 4,135
Neighbours of Warren County
- Rappahannock County16 miles south
- City of Winchester18 miles north
- Clarke County18 miles northeast
- Shenandoah County20 miles west
A Piscifun spread to take to Warren County
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Sorting out the Warren County species by sight
Photo: robposse, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Pacific Southwest Region, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Warren County fishing, asked and answered
Can the public launch a boat inside Warren County?
DWR lists 7 boating access sites; Bentonville boat ramp on South Fork Shenandoah River comes first.
Which Warren County lake has the most surface?
None inside the boundary; the nearest is Lake Frederick, 9 miles off.
What species does DWR name on lakes around Warren County?
Largemouth bass leads the count of lake pages within 50 miles, then bluegill, channel catfish and crappie; DWR names them on its waterbody pages.
Where does a Warren County angler buy bait?
Start at Gregory's Lakeside Bait & Tackle; the local list has 1.
In which town are the Warren County offices?
The seat is Front Royal.
What does a visitor pay to fish in Warren County?
Residents buy the yearly freshwater license at $23; out-of-state anglers spend $47.
Which Virginia counties and cities are close to Warren County?
Look at Rappahannock County, City of Winchester and Clarke County next.
Does DWR number a region for Warren County?
DWR lakes, ramps or piers inside it carry the number for DWR Region 4.
Do any lakes in Warren County break from the statewide rows?
The digest lists 1 water exception here, starting with North Fork, South Fork and Mainstem Shenandoah River; the table above shows each.
Is trout water in Warren County stocked?
The DWR schedule carries 31 stocking dates; the newest lists Brown Trout (October 16, 2026; category DH) at Passage Creek.
Fish Warren County over a long weekend
River pages carry USGS gauges that update on their own.