Fishing near McLean, Virginia
In Fairfax County; the 2020 Census counted 50,773 residents.
- 7 milesto nearest lake page
- 1launch nearby
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McLean as a Virginia fishing base
Home to 50,773 people in 2020, McLean is a Census-designated place on the Fairfax County map. The closest paged lake is Fairfax Lake, near 7 miles west of town. For more room, Occoquan Reservoir covers 2,100 acres. The shortest tow to a launch is 10 miles, to Gravelly Point on Potomac River.
About 11 miles away, Cameron Run Lake fishing pier on Cook Lake needs no boat.
Census 2020 population and Gazetteer point for McLean; miles are straight lines.
McLean area lakes, nearest first
| Lake | Distance | Area | Kind | DWR launches | Fish DWR names |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax Lake | 7 miles west | 28 acres | lake | 0 | bluegill, channel catfish, crappie |
| Cook Lake | 11 miles southeast | 3 acres (DWR outline area) | lake | 0 | channel catfish, brown trout, rainbow trout |
| Burke Lake | 14 miles southwest | 218 acres | lake | 1 | black crappie, blue catfish, bluegill |
| Occoquan Reservoir | 17 miles southwest | 2,100 acres | reservoir | 0 | bluegill, channel catfish, crappie |
Acres are the NHD outline area of the mapped lake (USGS National Hydrography Dataset), not a DWR figure. Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations layer (attributes as recorded; lanes, fees and hours are not in the layer), read November 6, 2026.
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- Accotink Creek7 miles, 1 stocked trout reach, 2 USGS gauges
- Holmes Run8 miles, 1 stocked trout reach
Current flow near McLean
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Dead Run At Whann Avenue Near Mclean, Va | 0 cfs, 1.16 ft gage height | Nov 7 5:25 pm |
| Difficult Run Near Great Falls, Va | 19 cfs, 2.85 ft gage height | Nov 7 5:15 pm |
| Four Mile Run At Hwy 29 At Falls Church, Va | 0 cfs, 1.90 ft gage height | Nov 7 4:55 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 7, 2026 5:34 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
DWR waterbody pages, stocked trout reaches and wild trout survey layers, and USGS gauges (live readings); read November 6, 2026.
Pins around McLean
- Gravelly Point on Potomac RiverPotomac River, concrete ramp (no dock), 2 ramps, barrier-free, freshwater, 10 miles
Piers within a short drive of McLean
- Cameron Run Lake fishing pier on Cook Lakefishing pier, 11 miles
- Lake Burke fishing pierfishing pier, 14 miles
Virginia DWR Boating Access Locations layer (attributes as recorded; lanes, fees and hours are not in the layer), read November 6, 2026.
Bait counters and captains close to McLean
Tackle stores handy to McLean
- Old Dominion Boat Clubmarina, Alexandria, 2 miles
- District Anglingbait and tackle shop, Arlington, 6 miles
- Belle Haven Marina Incmarina, Alexandria, 6 miles
- Boat America Corporationmarina, Springfield, 10 miles
- Washington Sailing Marinamarina, Alexandria, 11 miles
- Marina Maidsmarina, Springfield, 12 miles
- Marina Barbosa Psychhealthmarina, Alexandria, 12 miles
- Hot Fever Fishingbait and tackle shop, Fairfax, 13 miles
Yellow Pages and chain store listings (miles only for shops with an exact point); guide and charter business listings; read November 6, 2026.
Bag and length rules for McLean anglers
Residents buy the yearly freshwater license at $23; out-of-state anglers spend $47.
| Species | Where it applies | 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 |
| Hickory Shad | Above and below the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay and their tributaries | Creel and length limits shall be the same as those set by the Virginia Marine Resources Comm. in tidal rivers | no length limit printed |
| Hickory Shad | Meherrin River below Emporia Dam, Nottoway River, Blackwater River (Chowan Drainage), North Landing and Northwest rivers, and their tributaries plus Back Bay | 10 per day | No length limits |
| Anadromous (coastal) Alewife and Blueback Herring | Above and below the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay and their tributaries | Creel and length limits shall be the same as those set by the Virginia Marine Resources Comm. for these species in tidal rivers | no length limit printed |
| Other native or naturalized nongame fish | statewide | 20 per day | No length limits |
| Threatened and endangered species | statewide | No possession | no length limit printed |
| Grass Carp | statewide | No statewide daily limit | No statewide length limit |
| Longnose Gar | statewide | July 1 to April 14: 5 per day | April 15 to June 30: 1 per day No statewide length limits |
| Bowfin | statewide | July 1 to April 14: 5 per day | April 15 to June 30: 1 per day No statewide length limits |
| Northern Snakehead | statewide | No statewide daily limit | No statewide length limit |
| Spotted Sea Trout | Back Bay and tributaries, including Brinson’s Inlet Lake (Lake Tecumseh), and the North Landing River and its tributaries | 4 per day, no fish less than 14 inches | no length limit printed |
| Red Drum | Back Bay and tributaries, including Brinson’s Inlet Lake (Lake Tecumseh), and the North Landing River and its tributaries | 1 per day between 18 and 27 inches | no length limit printed |
| Grey Trout | Back Bay and tributaries, including Brinson’s Inlet Lake (Lake Tecumseh), and the North Landing River and its tributaries | 1 per day, no fish less than 12 inches | no length limit printed |
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. Lake and river pages print any water exception. Virginia license fees in the 2026 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia digest (licenses run one year from purchase unless noted), read November 6, 2026.
Neighbouring pages for McLean
More towns around McLean
- Pimmit Hills2 miles
- Tysons2 miles
- Idylwood4 miles
- Dunn Loring4 miles
- Falls Church4 miles
Which locality takes in McLean
- Fairfax Countyseat: Fairfax
A Piscifun spread to take to McLean
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Photo ID for the fish swimming at McLean
Photo: Nick Tobler (Cowturtle), CC BY 4.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Andy Sloane, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
McLean visitors ask
Which Virginia lake is the short hop from McLean?
Fairfax Lake, 7 miles west.
Which DWR launch serves a McLean boater?
Gravelly Point on Potomac River, a run of 10 miles.
Which DWR pier is handy for McLean?
Roughly 11 miles out, at Cameron Run Lake fishing pier on Cook Lake.
What is the closest listed bait counter to McLean?
Old Dominion Boat Club is listed 2 miles from town.
Which local government covers McLean?
Fairfax County, Virginia.
Must a McLean visitor carry a Virginia license?
A yearly freshwater license for a non-Virginian is $47, or $8 for a short-term option DWR lists.
What nearby impoundment gives a McLean boater the most room?
Occoquan Reservoir covers 2,100 acres and lies 17 miles off.
Which Virginia communities neighbour McLean?
In order of distance, Pimmit Hills (2 miles), Tysons (2 miles) and Idylwood (4 miles).
Base in McLean and fish every sunrise
Every launch name leads to a directions link.