Fishing near Richmond, Virginia
An independent city; the 2020 Census counted 226,610 residents.
- under a mileto nearest lake page
- 5launches nearby
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Richmond as a Virginia fishing base
Census 2020 put Richmond, a Virginia independent city, at 226,610 residents. The closest paged lake is Shields Lake, near under a mile north of town. For more room, Swan Lake covers 13 acres. The shortest tow to a launch is 3 miles, to Ancarrow's Landing on Tidal James River.
About 1 mile away, Belle Island fishing pier on Tidal James River needs no boat.
Census 2020 population and Gazetteer point for Richmond; miles are straight lines.
Richmond area lakes, nearest first
| Lake | Distance | Area | Kind | DWR launches | Fish DWR names |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shields Lake | under a mile north | 7 acres | lake | 0 | bluegill, bowfin, bullhead |
| Swan Lake | under a mile north | 13 acres | lake | 0 | bluegill, bullhead, channel catfish |
| Bryan Park | 5 miles north | 5 acres (DWR outline area) | lake | 0 | bluegill, bullhead, channel catfish |
| Three Lakes Park | 6 miles northeast | 7 acres | lake | 0 | black crappie, bluegill, bowfin |
| Deep Run Park Ponds | 9 miles northwest | 2 acres | pond | 0 | black crappie, bluegill, bullhead |
| Dorey Park Lake | 9 miles southeast | 5 acres | reservoir | 0 | bluegill, brook trout, brown trout |
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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Current flow near Richmond
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| James River Near Richmond, Va | 1,250 cfs, 3.55 ft gage height | Nov 7 4:30 pm |
| Little Westham Creek At Ur Drive At Richmond, Va | 3.47 ft gage height | Nov 7 5:20 pm |
| Upham Brook At Spring Pk At Rt 161 At Richmond, Va | 4.11 ft gage height | Nov 7 5:25 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 Richmond
- Ancarrow's Landing on Tidal James RiverTidal James River, dock and ramp, 2 ramps, barrier-free, freshwater, 3 miles
- Huguenot Bridge boat ramp on James River (Upper and Middle)James River (Upper and Middle), hand launch (boat slide), freshwater, 4 miles
- Robious Park on James River (Upper and Middle)James River (Upper and Middle), hand launch (boat slide), barrier-free, freshwater, 10 miles
- Osborne boat ramp on Tidal James RiverTidal James River, dock & ramp, 6 ramps, barrier-free, freshwater, 10 miles
- Dutch Gap boat ramp on Tidal James RiverTidal James River, hand launch (boat slide), 2 ramps, barrier-free, freshwater, 12 miles
Piers within a short drive of Richmond
- Belle Island fishing pier on Tidal James Riverfishing pier, 1 mile
- Osborne fishing pier on James Riverfishing pier, 10 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 Richmond
Tackle stores handy to Richmond
- Fly Fish the Worldbait and tackle shop, Richmond, 4 miles
- Hopkins Gun & Tackle LLCbait and tackle shop, Mechanicsville, 7 miles
- Surfside Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Mechanicsville, 8 miles
- Fin and Skin Taxidermy & Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Henrico, 9 miles
- Pope's Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Sandston, 10 miles
- Green Top Sporting Goods Corp.bait and tackle shop, Ashland, 11 miles
- Bass Pro Shops, 11550 Lakeridge Pkwysporting goods store, Ashland, 14 miles
- Marina Motors, Incmarina, Richmond
Yellow Pages and chain store listings (miles only for shops with an exact point); guide and charter business listings; read November 6, 2026.
Virginia record weights around Richmond
| Species | Weight as printed | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gar | 23 lbs | Pamunkey River | 2021 |
| Channel Catfish | 32 lbs. | Lake Chesdin | 1980 |
| Bowfin | 17 lbs. 8 oz. | Chickahominy Lake | 1964 |
| Bowfin | 10 lbs. 12 oz. | Chickahominy River | 2016 |
State Record Freshwater Fish as of 9-2-2025 (keeper: Virginia DWR (State Record Freshwater Fish list as of 9-2-2025); angler names left off here), read November 6, 2026. Waters within 40 miles.
Bag and length rules for Richmond 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 Richmond
More towns around Richmond
- Manchester5 miles
- Bon Air5 miles
- Montrose6 miles
- Lakeside6 miles
- East Highland Park6 miles
Which locality takes in Richmond
- City of Richmondindependent city
A Piscifun spread to take to Richmond
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Photo ID for the fish swimming at Richmond
Photo: Argyleist, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: robposse, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Richmond visitors ask
Which Virginia lake is the short hop from Richmond?
Shields Lake, under a mile north.
Which DWR launch serves a Richmond boater?
Ancarrow's Landing on Tidal James River, a run of 3 miles.
Which DWR pier is handy for Richmond?
Roughly 1 mile out, at Belle Island fishing pier on Tidal James River.
What is the closest listed bait counter to Richmond?
Fly Fish the World is listed 4 miles from town.
Which local government covers Richmond?
As an independent city it has its own locality page, City of Richmond.
Must a Richmond 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 Richmond boater the most room?
Swan Lake covers 13 acres and lies under a mile off.
Which Virginia communities neighbour Richmond?
In order of distance, Manchester (5 miles), Bon Air (5 miles) and Montrose (6 miles).
Is any Virginia record from a lake by Richmond?
Gar, 23 lbs, 2021, from Pamunkey River.
Base in Richmond and fish every sunrise
Every launch name leads to a directions link.