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Alewife
Photo: kjell, CC BY-SA 2.0 
Blue Catfish
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain 
Hickory Shad
Photo: Ellen Edmonson and Hugh Chrisp, Public domain 
Smallmouth Bass
Photo: Yellowstone National Park, Public domain
Virginia rivers and streams
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Upper Rappahannock River Fishing
River and creek fishing in Culpeper, Spotsylvania and Rappahannock counties.
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Culpeper County
The Upper Rappahannock River, sized up for Virginia anglers
Look for the Upper Rappahannock River, a river, in Culpeper, Spotsylvania and Rappahannock counties. The closest Census place is Bealeton, about 7 miles from the mapped point.
It has 1 access site on DWR records. 2 USGS gauges measure it.
1DWR access site
2USGS gauges
14species DWR names
3localities
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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The Upper Rappahannock River in the words of Virginia DWR
Moratorium on Possession of River Herring It is now illegal for any person 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.
For Upper Rappahannock River, the block above is DWR text cut to whole sentences.
Virginia DWR waterbody page (updated 11/17/2023), read November 6, 2026.
Flow
Streamflow on the Upper Rappahannock River today
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Rappahannock River At Remington, Va | 163 cfs, 3.00 ft gage height | Nov 8 8:15 pm |
| Rappahannock River Near Fredericksburg, Va | 339 cfs, 2.10 ft gage height | Nov 8 8:00 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 8, 2026 8:33 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
USGS posts these Upper Rappahannock River values live; they are provisional.
| USGS site | Name |
|---|---|
| 01664000 | RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER AT REMINGTON, VA |
| 01668000 | RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER NEAR FREDERICKSBURG, VA |
USGS instantaneous values, provisional.
Species
DWR-listed fish in the Upper Rappahannock River
Alewife Black crappie Blue catfish Bluegill Chain pickerel Channel catfish Crappie Hickory shad Largemouth bass Redbreast sunfish Smallmouth bass Striped bass White perch Yellow perch
For Upper Rappahannock River, the species follow DWR wording, not angler reports.
Virginia DWR waterbody page (updated 11/17/2023), read November 6, 2026.
Access
Boating access along the Upper Rappahannock River
| Site | Recorded attributes | Owner | Location (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly's Ford boat ramp on Upper Rappahannock River | hand launch (boat slide), barrier-free, freshwater | DWR | From Remington, Bus Rt 15 S. (.5); L on Rt 673 (2.4);L on Rt 674 (3.3);L on Rt 620 (.1) |
Neighbouring boat ramps around Upper Rappahannock River
- Elys Ford boat ramp on Rapidan River (Trout Section)Rapidan River (Trout Section), 10 miles southeast
- Hunting Run boat ramp on Rapidan River (Trout Section)Rapidan River (Trout Section), 11 miles southeast
- Lake Curtis boat rampLake Curtis, 12 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
How many fish leave the Upper Rappahannock River with you
| 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 |
Start from the statewide table on Upper Rappahannock River, then read any water line.
- Black Bass (Smallmouth, Largemouth & Spotted)
- 5 per day in aggregate
- No length limits
- Redbreast Sunfish/Bluegill/Bream
- 50 per day in aggregate
- No length limits
- Rockbass (Redeye)/Crappie
- 25 per day (each species)
- No length limits
- Catfish
- 20 per day (above Rt. 1 Bridge in Fredericksburg)
- No daily limit (below Rt. 1 Bridge in Fredericksburg)
- Only 1 Blue Catfish longer than 32 inches per day
- Striped Bass, Shad & Herring
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.
Compare
Moving water around the Upper Rappahannock River, in a table
| Stream | Distance | DWR access sites | USGS gauges | Stocked reaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Rappahannock River | this stream | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Rapidan River (Trout Section) | 10 miles southeast | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Hazel River | 29 miles west | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Hughes River | 30 miles west | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Robinson River | 31 miles west | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Rapidan River (Madison County) | 32 miles west | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations and Stocked Trout Reaches, USGS gauges; read November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Close to Upper Rappahannock River on the Commonwealth map
More Virginia lakes within reach of Upper Rappahannock River
- Phelps Pond2 miles
- Germantown Lake10 miles
- Hunting Run Reservoir12 miles
- Lake Curtis12 miles
Stores with hooks, line and lures around Upper Rappahannock River
- Low Main Marinamarina, Locust Grove, 9 miles
- Angler Developmentfly shop, Warrenton, 16 miles
- Sportsman's Warehouse, 3708 Plank Rdsporting goods store, Fredericksburg, 19 miles
- Ken's Tackle Shopbait and tackle shop, Fredericksburg, 21 miles
- Angler's Landingfly shop, Orange, 22 miles
- Willow Landing Marinamarina, Stafford, 23 miles
Booking a skipper or guide for Upper Rappahannock River
- White Lightning Sport Fishingcharter, Fredericksburg, (703) 407-2700
A bed and a breakfast counter near Upper Rappahannock River
- Bealeton7 miles, Fauquier County
- Lake of the Woods10 miles, Orange County
- Culpeper12 miles, Culpeper County
Locality pages that take in Upper Rappahannock River
- Culpeper Countycounty seat Culpeper
- Spotsylvania Countycounty seat Spotsylvania Courthouse
- Rappahannock Countycounty seat Washington
Other Commonwealth streams by the Upper Rappahannock River
- Rapidan River (Trout Section)10 miles
- Hazel River29 miles
- Hughes River30 miles
- Robinson River31 miles
- Rapidan River (Madison County)32 miles
Piscifun
Piscifun tackle that suits Upper Rappahannock River
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Fish photos
Commonwealth fish worth recognizing at Upper Rappahannock River
Photo: kjell, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Ellen Edmonson and Hugh Chrisp, Public domain
Photo: Yellowstone National Park, Public domain
Answers
The Upper Rappahannock River, asked and answered for Virginia anglers
Which localities does the Upper Rappahannock River cross?
Our records put it in Culpeper, Spotsylvania and Rappahannock counties, about 7 miles from Bealeton.
Where can I put a boat into the Upper Rappahannock River?
DWR maps one: Kelly's Ford boat ramp on Upper Rappahannock River.
What swims in the Upper Rappahannock River?
The DWR list includes alewife, black crappie, blue catfish, bluegill, chain pickerel, channel catfish and crappie.
When is the Upper Rappahannock River stocked?
No DWR trout stocking or wild trout reach is listed for it.
Is there a length limit on smallmouth in the Upper Rappahannock River?
The statewide digest row for largemouth and smallmouth bass reads: 5 per day in the aggregate (combined); No statewide length limits.
Can visitors fish the Upper Rappahannock River?
A Virginia freshwater license is $23 a year for residents and $47 for nonresidents 16 and older. Under-16 anglers are exempt.
What is the Upper Rappahannock River running at on the USGS gauge?
See 2 USGS gauges above, live.
Which Virginia bait counter sits closest to the Upper Rappahannock River?
Nearest in our list: Low Main Marina (about 9 miles away).
Spend a cool Blue Ridge morning on the Upper Rappahannock River
Buy the license online first.