Sandy Bottom Park Pond Fishing
A pond in City of Hampton, 465 acres.
Pick for crappiePiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Newport News: Watts, CC BY 2.0
The essentials of Sandy Bottom Park Pond
In City of Hampton, the pond known as Sandy Bottom Park Pond covers 465 acres. The closest Census place is Bethel Manor, about 2 miles away.
The pier layer adds 1 fishing pier.
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.
How DWR describes Sandy Bottom Park Pond
Sandy Bottom Nature Park consists of 465 acres and was established in the early 1990’s. It houses a diversity of habitats, plants and animals. A wetland mitigation project has resulted in the creation of 52 acres of wetlands. The 12-acre fishing pond located in this park was formed from a borrow pit that was originally excavated to help with the construction of Interstate 64. Initially, no authorized stocking took place in this pond. However, certain fish species soon became established.
Getting to Sandy Bottom Park Pond
The park is located at 1255 Big Bethel Road, a few minutes from I-64 (exit 261) by way of Hampton Roads Center Parkway West exit.
These are DWR sentences on Sandy Bottom Park Pond, cut to whole sentences.
Virginia DWR waterbody page (updated 11/17/2023), read November 6, 2026.
Motor rule and facilities at Sandy Bottom Park Pond
- Boat motors (DWR layer)Rental Boats Only
- Facilities DWR marksparking, picnic tables, restrooms, hiking trails, bike trails, observation platforms, fishing pier or platform, paddle access
- DWR region numberDWR Region 1
Only the fields DWR fills in for Sandy Bottom Park Pond appear here.
Virginia DWR Public Fishing Lakes layer (outline, motor rule, region number), read November 6, 2026. Virginia DWR waterbody page (updated 11/17/2023), read November 6, 2026.
Species DWR lists for Sandy Bottom Park Pond
The DWR fishing outlook grid for Sandy Bottom Park Pond
| Species group | DWR rating |
|---|---|
| Bass | best bet |
| Catfish | present |
| Panfish | present |
For Sandy Bottom Park Pond, species come from DWR pages and trout records rather than from catches.
Virginia DWR waterbody page (updated 11/17/2023), read November 6, 2026.
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No DWR launch sits on Sandy Bottom Park Pond, so the neighbours are listed.
Walk-in fishing on Sandy Bottom Park Pond
Virginia launches flanking Sandy Bottom Park Pond
- Peterson Yatch Basin boat ramp on Hampton RoadsHampton Roads, 6 miles south
- Fox Hill boat ramp on Back RiverBack River, 8 miles east
- Jones Creek boat rampJones Creek, 10 miles southwest
- Gloucester Point on York RiverYork River, 13 miles north
- Lawnes Creek boat ramp on Tidal James RiverTidal James River, 14 miles west
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.
Cooler math for Sandy Bottom Park Pond under Virginia rules
| 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 |
The 2026 statewide rows are the default on Sandy Bottom Park Pond.
DWR page rule lines for Sandy Bottom Park Pond
- Bowfin: Catch & Release on all bowfin caught
- Channel Catfish: 15” minimum size limit and creel limit of 5/person/day
- State Wide Regulations apply to all other fish species
- The park is open from sunrise to sunset every day except Christmas. The fishing pier is open to pedestrians for fishing 24 hours a day.
- Private boat launching is prohibited on Sandy Bottom Pond except for kayak fishing. Anglers can purchase a yearly kayak permit for $35. The park offers jon boat rentals for fishing opportunities on Sandy Bottom Park Pond. Canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats can be rented for use on the adjacent recreational pond (Crystal Lake), but no fishing is permitted on that lake.
- Shoreline fishing is only permitted off of the fishing pier on Sandy Bottom Pond.
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.
Sandy Bottom Park Pond among nearby lakes
Next to Sandy Bottom Park Pond, Lake Whitehurst is the giant of the group at 838 acres (DWR outline area).
| Water | Distance | Size | DWR ramps | Trout stocking dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Bottom Park Pond | this water | 465 acres | 0 | 0 |
| Lake Biggins | 3 miles southwest | 60 acres | 0 | 0 |
| Harwood’s Mill Reservoir | 6 miles northwest | 265 acres | 0 | 0 |
| Lee Hall Reservoir | 14 miles northwest | 230 acres | 0 | 0 |
| Lone Star Lakes | 16 miles southwest | 50 acres | 1 | 0 |
| Lake Whitehurst | 17 miles southeast | 838 acres (DWR outline area) | 0 | 0 |
Virginia DWR waterbody pages and Public Fishing Lakes layer, NHD outline areas, DWR Boating Access Locations and stocking schedule; read November 6, 2026.
Just off Sandy Bottom Park Pond, by road
Another Virginia impoundment after Sandy Bottom Park Pond
- Lake Biggins3 miles southwest
- Harwood’s Mill Reservoir6 miles northwest
- Lee Hall Reservoir14 miles northwest
- Lone Star Lakes16 miles southwest
- Lake Whitehurst17 miles southeast
Filling the bait bucket close to Sandy Bottom Park Pond
- Wilcox Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Newport News, 3 miles
- Bass Pro Shops, 1972 Power Plant Pkwysporting goods store, Hampton, 3 miles
- Bishops Fishing Supplybait and tackle shop, Yorktown, 3 miles
- Line Anglebait and tackle shop, Yorktown, 4 miles
- Leeward Municipal Marinamarina, Newport News, 4 miles
- James River Marinamarina, Newport News, 5 miles
Virginia captains and guides who work Sandy Bottom Park Pond
- Captain Hogg's Charterscharter, Hampton, (757) 876-1590
- Four Winds Charteringcharter, Hampton, (757) 713-2275
- Hampton Roads Charterscharter, Hampton, (757) 868-3474
- Seaduction Fishingcharter, Hampton, (757) 329-5137
Places to stay near Sandy Bottom Park Pond
- Bethel Manor2 miles, York County
- Newport News5 miles, City of Newport News
- Hampton7 miles, City of Hampton
- Poquoson8 miles, City of Poquoson
The Virginia counties and cities along Sandy Bottom Park Pond
- City of Hamptonindependent city
Reels from Piscifun for the next trip to Sandy Bottom Park Pond
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Lakes, tidewater and stream riffles close to Sandy Bottom Park Pond, in pictures
Photo: Missy Schmidt, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Doug Lewis, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Sandy Bottom Park Pond, asked and answered for Virginia anglers
How do I find Sandy Bottom Park Pond on a Virginia map?
Point the map at City of Hampton, about 2 miles from Bethel Manor.
How many acres is Sandy Bottom Park Pond?
Size on record: 465 acres.
Does DWR keep a public launch on Sandy Bottom Park Pond?
The nearest DWR launch is Peterson Yatch Basin boat ramp on Hampton Roads, 6 miles away.
What swims in Sandy Bottom Park Pond?
The DWR list includes black crappie, bluegill, common carp, channel catfish, crappie and largemouth bass.
How many largemouth can go home from Sandy Bottom Park Pond?
The statewide digest row for largemouth and smallmouth bass reads: 5 per day in the aggregate (combined); No statewide length limits.
What does DWR charge to fish Sandy Bottom Park Pond?
A Virginia freshwater license is $23 a year for residents and $47 for nonresidents 16 and older. Anyone not yet 16 is excused from buying one.
Where can bank anglers fish Sandy Bottom Park Pond?
DWR maps one fishing pier there: Sandy Bottom Nature Park on Sandy Bottom Park Pond.
What tackle store is handiest for Sandy Bottom Park Pond trips?
Wilcox Bait & Tackle (about 3 miles away) heads the shop list.
Load the cooler for Sandy Bottom Park Pond
Each 2026 Virginia fee and creel row is linked below.