Mill Creek Reservoir Fishing
This reservoir lies in Augusta and Amherst counties, 189 acres.
Pick for crappiePiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of James River: Ron Cogswell, CC BY 2.0
Mill Creek Reservoir in brief
Mill Creek Reservoir is a Virginia reservoir in Augusta and Amherst counties, listed at 189 acres. The nearest community on the Census list is Stuarts Draft, some 5 miles distant.
Boaters can use 1 boat ramp from the DWR list.
Acres as stated on the Virginia DWR waterbody page, read November 6, 2026. Virginia DWR Public Fishing Lakes layer (outline, motor rule, region number), read November 6, 2026. Census 2023 places.
Mill Creek Reservoir in the words of Virginia DWR
Mill Creek Reservoir is a 189-acre impoundment located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Amherst County. This is the largest of the three public reservoirs owned by the County and provides opportunities for fishing and family outings. The various facilities include picnic tables and grills, restrooms, play area, boat ramp, and associated parking. The lake is open year round but nighttime activities are prohibited except for fishing. Anglers are required to obtain a permit from the county to fish at night.
Finding the access at Mill Creek Reservoir
Mill Creek Reservoir can be accessed by taking route 60 to Lowesville Road (Rt. 718), turn right onto route 610, and bear left at the first intersection.
DWR wrote the passage above about Mill Creek Reservoir; check its page for updates.
Virginia DWR waterbody page (updated 11/17/2023), read November 6, 2026.
Site amenities DWR lists for Mill Creek Reservoir
- Boat motors (DWR layer)No Motors
- DWR region numberDWR Region 4
The rows on Mill Creek Reservoir mirror DWR records.
Virginia DWR Public Fishing Lakes layer (outline, motor rule, region number), read November 6, 2026.
Species on the DWR page for Mill Creek Reservoir
DWR wording drives the Mill Creek Reservoir species list; generic labels stay unlinked.
Virginia DWR waterbody page (updated 11/17/2023), read November 6, 2026.
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| Site | Recorded attributes | Owner | Location (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Creek boat ramp | dock and ramp, 1 ramp, barrier-free, freshwater | Amherst County | From Amherst, Northwest on Rt 645 (9.5) |
More DWR launches near Mill Creek Reservoir
- Ridgeview Park on South RiverSouth River, 9 miles northeast
- Basic Park on South RiverSouth River, 11 miles northeast
Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations layer (attributes as recorded; lanes, fees and hours are not in the layer), read November 6, 2026.
Virginia limits in force on Mill Creek Reservoir
| Species as printed | Applies to | 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 |
Those statewide digest rows govern Mill Creek Reservoir unless an exception below names it.
DWR regulation notes on Mill Creek Reservoir
- Largemouth Bass
- 5 fish per day
- 14–18 inch protected slot limit, all bass caught between 14 and 18 inches must be immediately released
- Catfish
- 5 fish per day
- 15 inch minimum size limit
- Crappie
- 25 fish per day
- 9 inch minimum size limit
- Sunfish
- 50 fish per day
- No size limit
Virginia DWR waterbody page (updated 11/17/2023), read November 6, 2026.
A Virginia freshwater license is $23 a year for residents and $47 for nonresidents 16 and older.
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.
Mill Creek Reservoir next to its Virginia neighbours
If Mill Creek Reservoir feels crowded, Sugar Hollow spreads across 47 acres.
| Water | Distance | Size | DWR ramps | Trout stocking dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Creek Reservoir | this water | 189 acres | 1 | 0 |
| Sherando Lakes | 3 miles south | 20 acres | 0 | 0 |
| Woodrow Wilson Pond | 11 miles north | 2 acres (DWR outline area) | 0 | 0 |
| Lake Tams | 15 miles north | 1 acres (DWR outline area) | 0 | 18 |
| Mint Springs | 17 miles northeast | 4 acres (DWR outline area) | 0 | 50 |
| Sugar Hollow | 19 miles northeast | 47 acres | 0 | 32 |
Virginia DWR waterbody pages and Public Fishing Lakes layer, NHD outline areas, DWR Boating Access Locations and stocking schedule; read November 6, 2026.
Around Mill Creek Reservoir, within a Virginia drive
Other Virginia reservoirs close to Mill Creek Reservoir
- Sherando Lakes3 miles south
- Woodrow Wilson Pond11 miles north
- Lake Tams15 miles north
- Mint Springs17 miles northeast
- Sugar Hollow19 miles northeast
Where to buy bait before Mill Creek Reservoir
- South River Fly Shopfly shop, Waynesboro, 10 miles
- Tycoon Tackle Incbait and tackle shop, Waynesboro, 10 miles
Virginia towns close to Mill Creek Reservoir
- Stuarts Draft5 miles, Augusta County
- Waynesboro10 miles, City of Waynesboro
- Fishersville10 miles, Augusta County
- Staunton15 miles, City of Staunton
The localities Mill Creek Reservoir runs through
- Augusta Countycounty seat Staunton
- Amherst Countycounty seat Amherst
Piscifun spinning gear for a day out on Mill Creek Reservoir
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Shorelines around Mill Creek Reservoir through a camera
Photo: Ron Cogswell, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Bill McChesney, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Mackenzie Brooks, CC BY-SA 2.0
Mill Creek Reservoir: what Old Dominion anglers keep asking
Which Virginia locality holds Mill Creek Reservoir?
Look in Augusta and Amherst counties, about 5 miles from Stuarts Draft.
Roughly how much water is Mill Creek Reservoir?
About 189 acres.
Which DWR access site suits a first trip to Mill Creek Reservoir?
DWR maps one: Mill Creek boat ramp.
What might bite for a Virginia angler at Mill Creek Reservoir?
DWR lists black crappie, bluegill, common carp, channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass and redear sunfish.
Which digest bass row covers Mill Creek Reservoir?
The statewide digest row for largemouth and smallmouth bass reads: 5 per day in the aggregate (combined); No statewide length limits.
Does a Virginia freshwater license cover Mill Creek Reservoir?
A Virginia freshwater license is $23 a year for residents and $47 for nonresidents 16 and older. Under-16 anglers are exempt.
Can a bank angler work the shoreline of Mill Creek Reservoir?
No dedicated pier appears on DWR data.
Which shop is on the way to Mill Creek Reservoir?
Stop at South River Fly Shop (about 10 miles away).
Plan a Saturday on Mill Creek Reservoir
Check the digest, then pick a ramp.