Tidal James River Fishing
A Commonwealth river crossing Chesterfield County and 4 other localities.
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Chickahominy River: schizoform, CC BY 2.0
What a Virginia angler should know about Tidal James River
This river, Tidal James River, flows through Chesterfield County and 4 other localities. The nearest town on the Census list is Williamsburg, some 9 miles away.
You can put in at 6 access sites DWR records. Near its mouth the river runs tidal.
Virginia DWR waterbody pages, Stocked Trout Reaches and Cold Water Stream Survey layers and Boating Access Locations; USGS gauges; read November 6, 2026.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 The DWR description of Tidal James River
Moratorium on Possession of River Herring It is now illegal for any person fishing tidal rivers to have river herring in their possession – this includes blueback herring and alewife. All river herring inadvertently caught by anglers must be immediately released back into the water. In Virginia, regulations regarding the harvest and possession of river herring are set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
DWR wrote the text above on Tidal James River; check its page for changes.
Virginia DWR waterbody page (updated 11/17/2023), read November 6, 2026.
The fish DWR records for Tidal James River
DWR labels alone drive the Tidal James River list.
Virginia DWR waterbody page (updated 11/17/2023), read November 6, 2026.
Backing down a trailer at Tidal James River
| Site | Recorded attributes | Owner | Location (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ancarrow's Landing on Tidal James River | dock and ramp, 2 ramps, barrier-free, freshwater | City of Richmond | City of Richmond on Maury Street |
| Deep Bottom boat ramp on Tidal James River | dock and ramp, 2 ramps, barrier-free, freshwater | Henrico County | South (8) of Seven Pines on Deep Bottom Road |
| Dutch Gap boat ramp on Tidal James River | hand launch (boat slide), 2 ramps, barrier-free, freshwater | Chesterfield County | I-95 East to Rt 10 (.2); L on Rt 732 (2); R on Rt 615 (1) |
| Grey's Creek boat ramp on Tidal James River | concrete ramp (no dock), 1 ramp, barrier-free, saltwater | Surry | |
| Lawnes Creek boat ramp on Tidal James River | dock and ramp, 1 ramp, barrier-free, fresh and salt | DWR | From Bacons Castle, Rt 650 North (5.2) |
| Osborne boat ramp on Tidal James River | dock & ramp, 6 ramps, barrier-free, freshwater | DWR | Intersection of Kingsland Road and Osborne Turnpike |
Bank access a short walk from Tidal James River
- Wilcox Wharf on Tidal James Riverfishing pier
- Belle Island fishing pier on Tidal James Riverfishing pier
- James River Fishing Pierfishing pier
- Hilton Pier on Tidal James Riverfishing pier
Fallback Commonwealth launches near Tidal James River
- Gloucester Point on York RiverYork River, 12 miles northeast
- Jones Creek boat rampJones Creek, 13 miles southeast
Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations layer (attributes as recorded; lanes, fees and hours are not in the layer), read November 6, 2026.
Tidewater miles of the James River
- Mouth (GNIS)Isle of Wight County
- Fall line landmark (digest)14th Street Bridge (Mayo Bridge)
- Freshwater/saltwater license line (digest)A line connecting Hog Point on Hog Island (Surry County) and the downstream point of the mouth of College Creek (James City County)
- NoteTidal reach and saltwater-license boundary per VMRC/DWR, not given by GNIS.
Above the license line on Tidal James River a freshwater license is needed; below it, a saltwater license.
| Species | Area | Size | Bag | Season | VAC section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black drum | Virginia tidal waters | 16 in minimum | 1 | not stated | 4VAC20-320-40 |
| Bluefish | Virginia tidal waters | not stated | 5 | not stated | 4VAC20-450-20 |
| Cobia | Virginia tidal waters | 43 in minimum | 1 | June 15 through September 20 | 4VAC20-510-20 |
| Grey trout (weakfish) | Virginia tidal waters | 12 in minimum | 1 | not stated | 4VAC20-380-60 |
| Spanish mackerel | Virginia tidal waters | 14 in minimum | 15 | not stated | 4VAC20-540-30 |
| Summer flounder | Tidal waters except Potomac River tributaries | 16 in minimum | 4 | Open year-round (January 1 through May 31 size) | 4VAC20-620-50 |
| Summer flounder | Tidal waters except Potomac River tributaries | 17.5 in minimum | 4 | Open year-round (June 1 through December 31 size) | 4VAC20-620-50 |
Rules as printed, 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (eRegulations, linked from the Virginia DWR regulations page), read November 6, 2026. Virginia Administrative Code, Title 4 Agency 20 (Marine Resources Commission) on law.lis.virginia.gov, as of November 6, 2026 (VMRC rules change by emergency order; check the VMRC regulations page before keeping fish).
Virginia keep counts for Tidal James 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 |
For Tidal James River, the statewide digest is the starting point.
- Largemouth Bass
- 5 per day
- No length limit
- Striped Bass, Shad and Herring
- All seasons and limits set by the Virginia Marine Resource Commission
- (VMRC)
- Contact information:VMRC in Newport News at 1-800-541-4646
- Catfish
- (Blue)
- No creel limit for Blue Catfish less than 32 inches
- Only 1 Blue Catfish larger than 32 inches per person per day
- Anadromous Species
- All seasons and limits set by the Virginia Marine Resource Commission
- (VMRC)
Virginia DWR waterbody page (updated 11/17/2023), read November 6, 2026.
Lines in the digest just for Tidal James River
| Water as printed | Species | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Blue | No daily limit, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 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, and a saltwater license is $17.50 for residents and $25 for nonresidents.
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.
Weigh-ins along the Tidal James River
Event dates and printed weights for Tidal James River are on its tournament page.
Lining up the Tidal James River with nearby rivers
| Stream | Distance | DWR access sites | USGS gauges | Stocked reaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tidal James River | this stream | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Chickahominy River | 13 miles northwest | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Blackwater River | 25 miles southwest | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| Nottoway River | 34 miles southwest | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Appomattox River | 35 miles west | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Meherrin River | 57 miles southwest | 2 | 4 | 0 |
Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations and Stocked Trout Reaches, USGS gauges; read November 6, 2026.
Neighbouring stops for Tidal James River
Nearby lakes worth a cast after Tidal James River
- Lee Hall Reservoir10 miles
- Harwood’s Mill Reservoir11 miles
- Waller Mill Reservoir12 miles
- Sandy Bottom Park Pond14 miles
Commonwealth tackle shops serving Tidal James River
- Marina Power & Lightingmarina, Williamsburg, 9 miles
- Mobjack Bay Marinamarina, Newport News, 9 miles
- Deep Creek Landing Marinabait and tackle shop, Newport News, 9 miles
- James River Marinamarina, Newport News, 9 miles
- Grafton Fishing Supply & Fishingbait and tackle shop, Yorktown, 11 miles
- Brown's Marinamarina, Carrollton, 11 miles
Who to hire for a day on Tidal James River
- Fishing Connectioncharter, Chester, (804) 748-3197
Where anglers bunk when fishing Tidal James River
- Williamsburg9 miles, City of Williamsburg
- Newport News10 miles, City of Newport News
- Smithfield12 miles, Isle of Wight County
Tidal James River, broken out by Virginia locality
- Chesterfield Countycounty seat Chesterfield
- Henrico Countycounty seat Laurel
- City of Richmondindependent city
- Surry Countycounty seat Surry
- James City Countycounty seat Williamsburg
Rivers one drainage over from the Tidal James River
- Chickahominy River13 miles
- Blackwater River25 miles
- Nottoway River34 miles
- Appomattox River35 miles
- Meherrin River57 miles
Piscifun reels for a Virginia day on Tidal James River
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Sorting out the Tidal James River species by sight
Photo: kjell, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Ellen Edmonson and Hugh Chrisp, Public domain
Straight replies on Tidal James River from the Virginia rule books
Which counties or cities touch Tidal James River?
It crosses Chesterfield County and 4 other localities, about 9 miles from Williamsburg.
Which DWR site reaches Tidal James River?
DWR maps 6 access sites; Ancarrow's Landing on Tidal James River is one.
What might bite for a Virginia angler in Tidal James River?
Look for American shad, alewife, black crappie, blue catfish, bluegill, common carp and channel catfish.
Does Tidal James River hold DWR trout?
Neither stocked nor wild trout reaches are mapped here.
What bass creel does the digest set for Tidal James River?
The statewide digest row for largemouth and smallmouth bass reads: 5 per day in the aggregate (combined); No statewide length limits. See the water-specific rows above.
Which Virginia license does Tidal James River call for?
A Virginia freshwater license is $23 a year for residents and $47 for nonresidents 16 and older, and a saltwater license is $17.50 for residents and $25 for nonresidents. Kids under 16 fish free.
What is the flow on Tidal James River today?
No gauge reads it in our data.
What store sells bait near Tidal James River?
Marina Power & Lighting (about 9 miles away) is first on our list.
Does the Virginia saltwater license come into play on Tidal James River?
The digest license line: A line connecting Hog Point on Hog Island (Surry County) and the downstream point of the mouth of College Creek (James City County). The fall line landmark: 14th Street Bridge (Mayo Bridge).
Pencil in a Virginia weekday on Tidal James River
Virginia fees and limits are on one page.