Virginia Special Regulation Waters
49 Virginia lakes and rivers with their own creel or length rule in the 2026 digest, by group and fish, linked to each water page.
For weighing a catchPiscifun Lip gripper with digital scale27% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Kerr Lake: Virginia State Parks, CC BY 2.0
Virginia waters with their own digest line
The 2026 digest lists 49 exceptions where a lake or river sets a different creel or length rule from the statewide table, from slot limits on bass lakes to the striped bass seasons of Smith Mountain Lake and Kerr Reservoir.
42 of them link to a water page here; the rest name stretches such as all rivers below the fall line and print only on this page.
Water-specific exceptions as printed, 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (eRegulations, linked from the Virginia DWR regulations page), read November 6, 2026.
Virginia digest exceptions: lakes
| Water as printed | Fish | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| Briery Creek Lake | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No largemouth or smallmouth bass 16 to 24 inches, only 1 per day longer than 24 inches |
| Buggs Island Lake/Kerr Reservoir | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 14 inches |
| Claytor Lake | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No smallmouth less than 14 inches |
| Flannagan Reservoir | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No largemouth bass less than 12 inches; no smallmouth bass less than 15 inches |
| Lake Gaston | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 14 inches |
| Leesville Reservoir | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 14 inches |
| Lake Moomaw | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 12 inches |
| Smith Mt. Lake and its tributaries below Niagara Dam | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 14 inches |
| South Holston Reservoir | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No smallmouth less than 15 inches |
Water-specific exceptions as printed, 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (eRegulations, linked from the Virginia DWR regulations page), read November 6, 2026.
Virginia digest exceptions: other
| Water as printed | Fish | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| Buggs Island Lake/Kerr Reservoir including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Leesville Dam and the Dan River and its tributaries to the Union Street Dam (Danville) | Landlocked Striped Bass and Landlocked Striped Bass X White Bass Hybrids | October 1–May 31: 2 per day in the aggregate (combined) No striped bass or hybrid striped bass less than 20 inches or greater than 26 inches; June 1–September 30: 4 per day in the aggregate (combined) No length limit |
| Claytor Lake and its tributaries | Landlocked Striped Bass and Landlocked Striped Bass X White Bass Hybrids | September 16–June 30: 2 per day in the aggregate, no striped bass or hybrid bass less than 20 inches; July 1–September 15: 4 per day in the aggregate; no length limit |
| Lake Gaston | Landlocked Striped Bass and Landlocked Striped Bass X White Bass Hybrids | 4 per day in the aggregate (combined); October 1–May 31: No striped bass or hybrid striped bass less than 20 inches; June 1–September 30: No length limit |
| Smith Mountain Lake and its tributaries, including the Roanoke River upstream to Niagara Dam | Landlocked Striped Bass and Landlocked Striped Bass X White Bass Hybrids | 2 per day in the aggregate (combined); November 1–May 31: No striped bass 30 to 40 inches; June 1–October 31: No length limit |
| 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 |
| South Holston Reservoir | White Bass | No harvest or possession (catch and release only) |
| Lake Gaston and Buggs Island Lake/Kerr Reservoir, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Leesville Dam and the Dan River and its tributaries to Union Street Dam (Danville) | White Bass | 10 per day; no white bass less than 14 inches |
| Lake Gaston and Buggs Island Lake/Kerr Reservoir | Chain Pickerel and Northern Pike | No daily limit |
| 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 |
| Lake Gaston and Buggs Island Lake/Kerr Reservoir including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Difficult Creek, Charlotte County; and the Dan River and its tributaries to the Banister River, Halifax County; and that portion of the New River from the VA–NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little rivers in Grayson County | Bluegill (bream) and other sunfish excluding Crappie, Rock Bass (redeye) and Roanoke Bass | No daily limit |
| Lake Gaston and that portion of the New River from the VA–NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little rivers in Grayson County | Crappie (black or white) | No daily limit |
| Buggs Island Lake/Kerr Reservoir including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Difficult Creek, Charlotte County; and the Dan River and its tributaries to the Banister River, Halifax County; | Crappie (black or white) | No crappie less than 9 inches |
| Briery Creek and Sandy River reservoirs | Crappie (black or white) | No crappie less than 9 inches |
| Flannagan and South Holston reservoirs | Crappie (black or white) | No crappie less than 10 inches; South Holston Res. — 15 per day in the aggregate (combined) |
| Lake Gaston and Buggs Island Lake/Kerr Reservoir and that portion of the New River from the VA–NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little rivers in Grayson County | Rock Bass (redeye) | No daily limit |
| Nottoway, Meherrin, Blackwater (Franklin County), Blackwater (Chowan), Falling and Smith rivers and their tributaries | Rock Bass (redeye) | 5 per day in the aggregate (combined) with Roanoke bass No rock bass less than 8 inches |
| South Holston Reservoir | Rock Bass (redeye) | 20 per day |
| Nottoway, Meherrin, and Blackwater (Franklin County), Blackwater (Chowan), Falling and Smith rivers and their tributaries | Roanoke Bass | 5 per day in the aggregate (combined) with rock bass No Roanoke bass less than 8 inches |
| Lake Moomaw | Perch (yellow and white) | 10 per day |
| Tidal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay below the fall line | Perch (yellow and white) | No yellow perch less than 9 inches |
| See Trout Waters | Trout | |
| South Holston Reservoir | Trout | 7 fish per day—only 2 lake trout. No minimum size. |
| All rivers below the fall line | Channel, White, and Flathead | No daily limit |
| Buggs Island Lake/Kerr Reservoir including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Difficult Creek, Charlotte County; and the Dan River and its tributaries to the Banister River, Halifax County; | Blue | 20 per day, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches |
| James River and its tributaries below the fall line downstream to a line connecting Hog Point on Hog Island (Surry County) and the downstream point of the mouth of College Creek (James City County) | Blue | No daily limit, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches |
| Lake Gaston | Blue | No daily limit, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches |
| All rivers below the fall line other than the tidal James River and its tributaries downstream to a line connecting Hog Point on Hog Island (Surry County) and the downstream point of the mouth of College Creek (James City County) | Blue | No daily limit |
| South Holston Reservoir | All Catfish | 20 per day, only 1 catfish per day longer than 34 inches |
| Statewide | Other native or naturalized nongame fish | See Noname Fish, Reptile, Amphibian, and Aquatic Invertebrate Regulations for exceptions |
| Back Bay and North Landing River | American Eel | No possession limit for those individuals possessing a permit obtained under 4VAC15-340-80 |
Water-specific exceptions as printed, 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (eRegulations, linked from the Virginia DWR regulations page), read November 6, 2026.
Virginia digest exceptions: rivers
| Water as printed | Fish | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| Clinch River–within the boundaries of Scott, Wise, Russell or Tazewell counties | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches, only 1 per day longer than 20 inches |
| Dan River and tributaries downstream from the Union Street Dam, Danville | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 14 inches |
| James River–Confluence of the Jackson and Cowpasture rivers (Botetourt Cty) downstream to the 14th St. Bridge in Richmond | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No largemouth or smallmouth bass 14 to 22 inches, only 1 per day longer than 22 inches |
| Levisa Fork River–within the boundaries Buchanan County | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches, only 1 per day longer than 20 inches |
| 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, Big Walker Creek from the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge downstream to the New River and Wolf Creek from the Narrows Dam downstream to the New River in Giles County. (This does not include Claytor Lake which is delineated as: The upper end of the island at Allisonia downstream to the dam.) | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No largemouth or smallmouth bass 14 to 22 inches, only 1 per day longer than 22 inches |
| North Fork Holston River–Rt. 91 Bridge upstream of Saltville, Va. downstream to the VA-TN state line | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches, only 1 per day longer than 20 inches |
| Potomac River – Virginia tidal tributaries above Rt. 301 bridge | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 15 inches from March 1 through June 15 |
| Staunton (Roanoke) River–and its tributaries below Difficult Creek, Charlotte County | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 14 inches |
| North Fork, South Fork and Mainstem Shenandoah River | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No largemouth or smallmouth bass 11 to 14 inches |
| Staunton River–Leesville Dam (Campbell County) downstream to the mouth of Difficult Creek, Charlotte County | Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass | No smallmouth bass less than 20 inches, only 1 per day longer than 20 inches |
Water-specific exceptions as printed, 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (eRegulations, linked from the Virginia DWR regulations page), read November 6, 2026.
Which Virginia fish the exceptions cover most
Lake, river and tidewater scenes for Virginia Special Regulation Waters
Photo: Virginia State Parks, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Virginia State Parks, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Jason Riedy, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Will Fisher, CC BY-SA 2.0
Virginia special waters, asked and answered
How many Virginia waters have special limits?
49 digest exceptions, 9 for lakes and 10 for rivers.
Which fish has the most special lines in Virginia?
Largemouth, Smallmouth Bass, with 19 lines.
What is the Smith Mountain Lake striped bass rule?
Smith Mountain Lake and its tributaries, including the Roanoke River upstream to Niagara Dam: 2 per day in the aggregate (combined); November 1–May 31: No striped bass 30 to 40 inches; June 1–October 31: No length limit
Does a water exception replace the statewide row?
Yes for that fish on that water; the statewide row still covers every other fish there.
Are these all the local rules?
They are the digest exceptions; DWR waterbody pages also print regulation lines, shown on each lake and river page.
Which waters have bass slot limits?
Briery Creek Lake, James River–Confluence of the Jackson and Cowpasture rivers (Botetourt Cty) downstream to the 14th St. Bridge in Richmond, 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, Big Walker Creek from the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge downstream to the New River and Wolf Creek from the Narrows Dam downstream to the New River in Giles County. (This does not include Claytor Lake which is delineated as: The upper end of the island at Allisonia downstream to the dam.), North Fork, South Fork and Mainstem Shenandoah River and Smith Mountain Lake and its tributaries, including the Roanoke River upstream to Niagara Dam
Where are trout special regulations?
On the special regulation trout waters page, which lists the delayed harvest, catch and release and tailwater rules.
How current is this list?
It is the 2026 digest creel table, read November 6, 2026.