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Blue Catfish
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain 
Longnose Gar
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain 
Hickory Shad
Photo: Ellen Edmonson and Hugh Chrisp, Public domain 
Sauger
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Virginia rivers and streams
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Blackwater River Fishing
Virginia river fishing in Isle of Wight County and 3 other localities.
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Isle of Wight County
The Blackwater River in brief
In Isle of Wight County and 3 other localities you meet the Blackwater River, a river on the Virginia map. Supplies are nearest in Windsor, around 7 miles off.
Boaters get 3 access sites from the DWR list. Flow comes from 5 USGS gauges.
3DWR access sites
5USGS gauges
8species DWR names
4localities
Virginia DWR waterbody pages, Stocked Trout Reaches and Cold Water Stream Survey layers and Boating Access Locations; USGS gauges; read November 6, 2026.
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USGS stations on the Blackwater River
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Blackwater River Near Dendron, Va | 0 cfs, 31.74 ft gage height | Nov 8 6:45 pm |
| Blackwater River At Route 620 Near Zuni, Va | 20 cfs, 15.23 ft gage height | Nov 8 6:45 pm |
| Blackwater River Near Franklin, Va | 9 cfs, 0.69 ft gage height | Nov 8 6:45 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 8, 2026 7:32 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
The Blackwater River readings update on their own and can be revised.
| USGS site | Name |
|---|---|
| 02047500 | BLACKWATER RIVER NEAR DENDRON, VA |
| 02047783 | BLACKWATER RIVER AT ROUTE 620 NEAR ZUNI, VA |
| 02049500 | BLACKWATER RIVER NEAR FRANKLIN, VA |
| 02050000 | BLACKWATER RIVER AT HWYS 58/258 AT FRANKLIN, VA |
| 02056900 | BLACKWATER RIVER NEAR ROCKY MOUNT, VA |
USGS instantaneous values, provisional.
Species
Species on the DWR page for the Blackwater River
American shad Blue catfish Bluegill Bowfin Longnose gar Hickory shad Largemouth bass Redbreast sunfish
No survey or catch data went into the Blackwater River list beyond DWR labels.
Virginia DWR waterbody page (updated 11/17/2023), read November 6, 2026.
Access
DWR boating access along the Blackwater River
| Site | Recorded attributes | Owner | Location (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackwater Bridge boat ramp | dock and ramp, 1 ramp, freshwater | DWR | From Windsor, Rt 603 West (6) |
| Blackwater Park | dock and ramps & seperate hand launch, 2 ramps, barrier-free, freshwater | City of Franklin | |
| Joyner's Bridge boat ramp on Blackwater River | ramp (no dock), 1 ramp, freshwater | L.E. Beale Jr. | From Franklin, Bus Rt 258 East (5); L of Rt 611 (2.3) |
Ramps worth knowing close to Blackwater River
- Airfield Pond boat rampLake Airfield, 11 miles northwest
- Hercules boat ramp on Nottoway RiverNottoway River, 13 miles southwest
- Western Branch boat ramp on Lake PrinceLake Prince, 14 miles east
Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations layer (attributes as recorded; lanes, fees and hours are not in the layer), read November 6, 2026.
Limits
Virginia keep counts for the Blackwater River
| 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 for Blackwater River.
- Facilities
- New Moratorium on Possession of River Herring
- It is now illegal for any person fishing this river to have American Shad in their possession. All American Shad and river herring inadvertently caught by anglers must be immediately released back into the water.
- Overview
- The Blackwater originates as a coastal plain swamp in Prince George County. It flows east through braided channels of bald cypress and tupelo in Surry County. The river then turns south into Southampton County where several boat ramps are accessible for anglers, hunters and boaters alike. The Blackwater then joins with the Nottoway to form the Chowan at the Virginia-North Carolina state line. Floating the Blackwater River is best done with a canoe, kayak or small jon boat. There is very little or no flow much of the time, so be prepared when traveling between access points. Don’t let this deter you if you are a traditional canoeist, the Blackwater boasts some gorgeous float trips through ancient tree lined wetlands. On any one trip you can see whitetail deer, numerous waterfowl, raccoons, squirrels and many unique reptile and amphibian species, not to mention a healthy fish population swimming under the water’s surface.
- The dark, tannin stained waters of the Blackwater River host runs of striped bass, river herring (alewives and blueback), American and hickory shad in the spring. Angling for redbreast (“red throats” or “red robins”) and redear (“shellcrackers”) sunfish is also quite good in the spring. The river also hosts largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, flier, blue catfish and chain pickerel populations. Bowfin and gar are common in the lower main stem. Angling for bowfin provides a great opportunity to catch many hard-fighting fish in a short amount of time. The possibility also exists to land a trophy bowfin and blue catfish.
- Black Bass
- 5 per day in aggregate
- No length limits
- Sunfish
- 50 per day in aggregate
- No length limits
- Crappie
- 25 per day
Virginia DWR waterbody page (updated 11/17/2023), read November 6, 2026.
Digest exceptions on Blackwater River
| Water as printed | Species | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
Water-specific exceptions as printed, 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (eRegulations, linked from the Virginia DWR regulations page), 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.
Compare
The Blackwater River beside other Virginia streams
| Stream | Distance | DWR access sites | USGS gauges | Stocked reaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackwater River | this stream | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| Nottoway River | 18 miles west | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Tidal James River | 25 miles northeast | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Chickahominy River | 30 miles north | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Meherrin River | 38 miles west | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Appomattox River | 42 miles northwest | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations and Stocked Trout Reaches, USGS gauges; read November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Old Dominion stops around Blackwater River
Other impoundments a short drive from Blackwater River
- Lake Airfield12 miles
- Lake Prince12 miles
- Burnt Mills Reservoir12 miles
- Lake Cohoon13 miles
Bloodworm and minnow counters en route to Blackwater River
- Virginia Outdoorsbait and tackle shop, Franklin, 9 miles
- Harbor View Partners, 2602 Nansemond Pkwymarina, Suffolk, 18 miles
- The Fishing Holebait and tackle shop, Waverly, 21 miles
- G Daddy's Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Carrollton, 21 miles
- Brown's Marinamarina, Carrollton, 21 miles
- Harbor View Partners, 106 Sharpe Drmarina, Suffolk, 24 miles
Hired Commonwealth guides on Blackwater River
- capt jims h b charterscharter, North Prince George, (804) 943-7152
Towns that make a good base for Blackwater River
- Windsor7 miles, Isle of Wight County
- Franklin9 miles, City of Franklin
- Courtland13 miles, Southampton County
Each locality touching Blackwater River, linked
- Isle of Wight Countycounty seat Isle of Wight
- Southampton Countycounty seat Courtland
- Prince George Countycounty seat Prince George
- Surry Countycounty seat Surry
Neighbouring rivers of the Blackwater River
- Nottoway River18 miles
- Tidal James River25 miles
- Chickahominy River30 miles
- Meherrin River38 miles
- Appomattox River42 miles
Piscifun
A Piscifun spread to take to Blackwater River
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Fish photos
Photo ID for the fish swimming at Blackwater River
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Ellen Edmonson and Hugh Chrisp, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Answers
What a Virginia tackle counter hears about the Blackwater River
Which part of the Commonwealth holds the Blackwater River?
Set the map on Isle of Wight County and 3 other localities, about 7 miles from Windsor.
How many access sites serve the Blackwater River?
DWR shows 3 access sites; start at Blackwater Bridge boat ramp.
Which species does DWR list for the Blackwater River?
DWR sources name American shad, blue catfish, bluegill, bowfin, longnose gar, hickory shad and largemouth bass.
Do DWR trout trucks visit the Blackwater River?
It is not on the DWR trout layers.
Do I measure bass on the Blackwater River?
The statewide digest row for largemouth and smallmouth bass reads: 5 per day in the aggregate (combined); No statewide length limits. Check its exception rows too.
Which license do I carry on the Blackwater River?
A Virginia freshwater license is $23 a year for residents and $47 for nonresidents 16 and older. Anglers under 16 need none.
Which USGS gauge reads the Blackwater River?
Live numbers come from 5 USGS gauges above.
Does a listed fly or tackle store serve the Blackwater River?
Try Virginia Outdoors (about 9 miles away).
Read the USGS gauge, then fish the Blackwater River
Know the creel limits before the first cast.