Trout Fishing Guide

Trout Fishing

Virginia contains over 3,500 miles of trout streams, in addition to numerous ponds, small lakes and reservoirs. The total includes over 2,900 miles of wild trout streams and about 600 miles of water inhabited with stocked trout. Virginia’s diversified trout habitat offers a wide range of trout fishing opportunities.

Trout management in Virginia consists of three basic programs:

• The Catchable Trout Stocking Program is the best known and most popular. “Designated Stocked Trout Waters” are stocked from October through May with catchable-sized trout. See Catchable Trout Stocking Plan for the streams and lakes stocked and their stocking schedule.
• The Wild Trout Program includes the management of reproducing populations of brook, rainbow, and brown trout. Efforts are directed primarily at habitat preservation and proper regulation for protection of spawning stocks.
• The Fingerling Trout Stocking Program involves stocking sublegal trout into waters that have cold summer water temperatures and a good food source. This is the smallest of the three programs, but includes many of our high quality, special regulation trout fishing waters.

Virginia’s trout season is open year-round and the general statewide limits are 6 trout per day, no fish less than 7 inches. There are a number of exceptions found below for certain areas and waters (i.e., heritage, urban, special area, special regulation, and fee fishing waters), so please study the sections following for fishing times, dates, and limits. These different restrictions have been applied to certain wild trout waters, as well as several types of stocked trout streams, to provide anglers with the opportunity to catch more and larger trout.

Success for both wild and stocked trout should be very high through the spring, fall, and mild winter periods. From June through September, normally low stream flows and warming water temperatures make trout fishing more difficult. However, experienced trout anglers can find good trout fishing opportunities throughout the year.

Changes/Updates

• As a reminder, a trout license is not required to fish designated stocked trout waters during Free Fishing Days. A permit is still required to fish at Clinch Mountain, Crooked Creek, and Douthat State Park Fee Fishing Areas.
• Swift Run in Greene County will be reopened as a Category B Designated Stocked Trout Water. Refer to signage along the stream for access.
• The cost for a nonresident trout license to fish in designated stocked trout waters has been reduced to the same price as a resident trout license ($23.00).
• Stocking dates for Urban Stocked Trout Waters will be posted the week prior to stocking on the Department’s trout stocking info page, www.virginiawildlife.gov/fishing/trout-stocking-schedule and trout stocking telephone line.
• The Delayed Harvest section of Passage Creek (Warren Co.) will be reopened and stocked this season.
• Two additional sections of the Middle Fork Holston River flowing through the Town of Marion in Smyth County will now be stocked as part of the stocked trout program. The first is the portion of river flowing in front of Marion’s Carl Taylor Public Pool. The second is the section of river that flows through the Wilderness Road Garden Club Park operated by the Town of Marion’s Parks and Recreation Department.
• A new section of Elk Creek in Grayson County will be added to the stocked trout program to replace the Clito Road section that was lost to public access last year. The new section flows along Carsonville Road (Route 660) from near the intersection with Route 696 to approximately 0.5 miles below the Route 654 bridge.

Designated Trout Waters (Catchable Trout Stocking Waters)

“Designated Stocked Trout Waters” include those waters that are stocked with catchable-sized trout and are listed by the Director in the annual Trout Stocking Plan (see Catchable Trout Stocking Plan). These waters will only be considered designated stocked trout waters from October 1 through June 15 (trout license required). A trout license is not required from June 16 through September 30. Trout angling hours on designated stocked trout waters are from 5:00 am until one hour after sunset. See exceptions for Trout Heritage Waters (listed in Special Regulation Trout Waters), Urban Program Waters (listed in Trout Fishing Guide) and Fee Fishing Areas (listed in Special Regulation Trout Waters). Designated stocked trout waters are posted by the Department with appropriate “stocked trout waters” signs.

It is unlawful to fish in designated stocked trout waters after the daily creel limit of trout has been obtained or during the closed hours for taking trout. Once a trout is taken into possession by placing in the creel (basket, bucket, stringer, cooler, etc.) it becomes part of the daily creel limit and may not be released (culled). It is unlawful to feed, bait, or snag trout in designated stocked trout waters. It shall be unlawful for any person fishing in designated stocked trout waters to use more than one rod, one line, and one baited hook (a treble hook is considered one hook); however, any combination of artificial lures is allowed. It shall be unlawful to use seines and nets in designated stocked waters, except that a hand-landing net to land fish legally hooked may be used in all waters.

Kids Fishing Events

Kids fishing events that are sponsored by the Department and held on designated stocked trout waters will be closed to adults (anglers over 15 years of age) from noon the day before the event until the conclusion of the special event (only in the posted section). Any person over the age of 15 and accompanying a child who is incapable of hooking and landing a fish unassisted, must be properly licensed to fish in designated stocked trout waters.

Urban Program Waters

Waters in the Urban Fishing Program will be considered designated stocked trout waters from November 1 through April 30 only (trout license required). A trout license is not required from May 1 through October 31. In addition trout may be creeled from these waters year-round and the trout creel limit is 4 per day, no fish less than 7 inches. Once a trout is taken into possession by placing in the creel (basket, bucket, stringer, cooler, etc.) it becomes part of the daily creel limit and may not be released (culled). Stocking dates for these waters will be posted the week prior to stocking on the Department’s trout stocking info page and trout stocking telephone line (see box below).

Special Trout Areas

Blue Ridge Parkway

Fishing is prohibited from one-half hour after sunset until one-half hour before sunrise. No live or dead fish or fish eggs may be used as bait. Digging for worms is prohibited. Special creel limits and other regulations for Parkway waters may be posted.

Shenandoah National Park

Only single-point hook artificial lures may be used—no bait. On those streams open to harvest, the creel limit is 6 trout per day with a 9-inch minimum size for brook trout and a 7-inch minimum size for brown and rainbow trout. On all other streams open to fishing, catch and release regulations apply. The release of any brown trout back into any Park stream is prohibited and brown trout less than 7 inches must be disposed of within the Park but away from Park streams, roads or trails. This is an effort to limit the impacts of brown trout on the native brook trout populations. Contact the Shenandoah National Park at 540-999-3500 for the annual list of streams open to harvest.