Best Fishing Spots in Virginia

A Deeper Look at Fishing in Virginia

Fishing Heritage in Virginia

Virginia's fishing identity is shaped by its remarkable geographic range, stretching from the Atlantic coast and Chesapeake Bay through the Tidewater rivers, across the Piedmont, and up into the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains. Few states pack so many distinct fisheries into one borders, and that variety has been part of Virginia's cultural fabric since the earliest colonial days. Captain John Smith documented the abundance of fish in the Chesapeake in his early 1600s expeditions, marveling at the schools of striped bass, called rockfish locally, that could be caught with a frying pan. The Chesapeake Bay would become and remain the heart of Virginia's saltwater fishing tradition.

The bay's striped bass population crashed in the 1980s due to overfishing and pollution, leading to a fishing moratorium and an aggressive multi-state recovery effort that became one of the great fisheries success stories of the late 20th century. Today Virginia anglers chase rockfish in spring, summer, and the legendary fall trophy run when 40-inch class fish migrate through bay waters. Inland, the state's fishing identity is anchored by the Shenandoah River system and its smallmouth bass, the New River in the southwest with its trophy smallmouth and muskellunge, and the Blue Ridge brook-trout streams. Smith Mountain Lake, a 20,600-acre Appalachian Power impoundment built in the 1960s, became the state's premier striped bass fishery after stocking programs took off in the 1970s.

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, formerly the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries until a 2020 rebranding, manages everything from native brook trout to Atlantic offshore species in coordination with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.

The Best Fishing Spots in Virginia

The Chesapeake Bay is the headline destination, especially during the fall striped bass run from late October through December when 30- to 50-pound rockfish migrate through Virginia waters from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel area south. Spring also produces excellent striper action, plus tautog around the bridges and pilings, speckled trout in the rivers, and red drum on the eastern shore flats. Smith Mountain Lake near Roanoke is the state's top striped bass impoundment, with trophy stripers in the 30-pound-plus range caught annually, plus excellent largemouth and crappie fishing. The Shenandoah River, both the North Fork, South Fork, and main stem, provides some of the best smallmouth bass float fishing in the eastern United States, with rocky shoals, ledges, and clear water producing aggressive smallies on topwater poppers, soft jerkbaits, and crayfish imitations.

The New River from the North Carolina border up through Virginia is one of the great smallmouth rivers of the country and also holds muskellunge, walleye, and trophy carp. The James River in its central Virginia reaches has a national reputation for big smallmouth, with 22-inch fish a real possibility every season. Lake Anna and Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) on the North Carolina border offer big-lake bass and crappie fishing. The Atlantic coast off Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore offers offshore opportunities for tuna, marlin, mahi-mahi, and wahoo at the canyons, plus inshore fishing for cobia, flounder, and bluefish.

The Mossy Creek and Beaver Creek limestone spring creeks in the Shenandoah Valley produce trophy brown trout for fly anglers willing to cast small, technical patterns. The Jackson River tailwater below Lake Moomaw is one of the East Coast's best wild brown-trout streams.

Game Fish Species You'll Find in Virginia

Striped bass, locally called rockfish, are the signature species in saltwater. The Chesapeake Bay's fall trophy run produces fish over 40 inches and 30 pounds, while inland reservoirs like Smith Mountain Lake grow stripers to similar sizes through aggressive stocking. Smallmouth bass dominate Virginia rivers, with the New, the Shenandoah, and the James all producing 5-pound smallies. Largemouth bass thrive in the lower-elevation reservoirs and tidal rivers.

Muskellunge are present in the New River and a few other Virginia waters, with 50-inch fish on the rolls. Walleye are found in the New River, Claytor Lake, and Smith Mountain Lake. Crappie, both black and white, populate every major reservoir. Brook trout, the only native trout, still inhabit hundreds of small headwater streams in the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains, especially in Shenandoah National Park.

Brown trout grow large in spring creeks like Mossy Creek and tailwaters like the Jackson and Smith. Rainbow trout are stocked widely. Saltwater species include red drum, speckled trout, flounder, tautog, black drum, cobia, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, croaker, spot, and weakfish (gray trout) inshore, plus yellowfin and bluefin tuna, white and blue marlin, mahi, wahoo, king mackerel, and sailfish offshore at the canyons. Catfish, including blue catfish in the tidal James and Rappahannock, reach giant proportions, with the state record blue cat over 140 pounds.

Fishing Licenses and Regulations in Virginia

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) manages freshwater fishing licenses and regulations, while the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) handles saltwater fishing licenses and regulations. Freshwater anglers age 16 and older need a Virginia freshwater fishing license. Saltwater anglers age 16 and older need either a Virginia saltwater license or a registration through VMRC; some specific situations may require a different document. A combined sportsman license covers freshwater and saltwater plus hunting.

Striped bass regulations are particularly complex and change between bay seasons, ocean trophy seasons, and inland reservoirs. The Chesapeake Bay striper season includes spring trophy seasons, summer slot fisheries, and fall trophy seasons with size limits that vary by area and time of year. The smallmouth bass slot limit on certain river sections protects trophy fish. Trout-stocked waters require a separate trout license in addition to the fishing license.

Always check current regulations before fishing.

Best Seasons for Fishing in Virginia

Virginia fishing runs year-round across the variety of waters. The spring striped bass run on the Chesapeake Bay starts in mid-April for resident fish and peaks in May. Smallmouth fishing on the Shenandoah and James turns on in April and May. Summer brings offshore tuna at the canyons out of Virginia Beach.

The fall trophy striper run on the bay from late October through December is the calendar highlight for many Virginia anglers, when migrating cow rockfish push into bay waters. Smallmouth fishing in Virginia rivers stays excellent through October, with topwater action especially good on cool fall mornings. Trout stocking in Virginia mountains is heaviest in early spring and again in fall. Brook trout fishing in Shenandoah National Park is best from April through June and again in September.

Local Fishing Tips for Virginia Anglers

On the Chesapeake Bay during the fall trophy run, troll big bunker spoons and umbrella rigs around the Bay Bridge-Tunnel and along the migration channels for 40-inch class rockfish. Live-lining bunker or eels at the bridge tunnel pilings is another proven trophy tactic. On Smith Mountain Lake for stripers, follow the gulls in summer to find boils of fish chasing alewives on the surface. Live-baiting alewives or planer-board trolling are the deep-summer staples.

For Shenandoah River smallmouth, fish a 4-inch tube or soft jerkbait around shoals and ledges from a kayak or canoe drift. Topwater poppers shine on calm summer mornings. Mossy Creek demands a stealth approach, fine tippets, and small terrestrials in summer; fish slow and watch for trophy browns holding under undercut banks. For Blue Ridge brook trout, fish small dries on light tippets in early summer, focusing on plunge pools and pocket water in the headwaters.

Offshore tuna trips out of Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach run 70 to 100 miles to the canyons, so book with a reputable charter and check weather carefully. Watch the regulations on striped bass closely because they change frequently and citations are common.

Virginia Fishing FAQ

Sources & Further Reading

• https://dwr.virginia.gov/
• https://dwr.virginia.gov/fishing/
• https://mrc.virginia.gov/
• https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/fishing.htm
• https://www.chesapeakebay.net/