4 verified guides

Virginia Fishing Guides

Virginia covers more fishing ground than most anglers realize — native brook trout in the Blue Ridge headwaters, smallmouth in the James and New Rivers, tailwater browns on the South Holston, and striped bass pouring into the Chesapeake. The state runs from 5,000-foot mountain streams to coastal tidewater in a three-hour drive, and every mile of it holds fish somebody's traveled to catch.

Where to fish

Top waters in Virginia

James River (Upper)

Smallmouth bass, muskellunge

One of the top smallmouth rivers in the east. Float stretches from Iron Gate to Lynchburg are productive all summer. Topwater fishing at dawn and dusk is the signature experience.

New River

Smallmouth bass, walleye, muskellunge

One of the oldest rivers in the world and one of the few that flows north. Trophy smallmouth water. The Virginia section from Fries Dam downstream gets less pressure than the NC headwaters.

South Holston River

Brown trout, rainbow trout

Tailwater shared with Tennessee, but the Virginia section is wild brown trout water with prolific sulfur hatches in spring and summer. Sight-fishing in clear flows.

Mossy Creek

Brown trout

Limestone spring creek in the Shenandoah Valley with a 4-mile public-access stretch open to anyone with a free DWR landowner permit (in place since 1978 thanks to a TU/DWR/landowner partnership). Selective browns in slow, clear water — read the water and crawl, don't wade. Guides also lease additional private water for clients.

When to go

Virginia fishing by season

March–May

Spring

Smallmouth pre-spawn on the James and New. Striper run up the coastal rivers. Trout streams in the Blue Ridge open and fish well as the water warms. Shad run on the James is a spring highlight.

June–August

Summer

Peak smallmouth season on the rivers. Early-morning topwater before the heat. Mountain brook trout in the high headwaters stay cold. Chesapeake inshore fishery is firing.

September–November

Fall

Striper blitz on the Chesapeake. Smallmouth feeding hard before winter. Best trout fishing of the year on the tailwaters and mountain streams — cool temps, low pressure, active fish.

December–February

Winter

Tailwaters (South Holston, Jackson, Smith) fish year-round. Striper fishery continues through December on the coast. Slow, technical, but the fish that eat are usually big.

Why Virginia

Virginia is the rare state where you can fish native brookies in the morning, smallmouth at midday, and a tailwater brown trout hatch at dusk — all without leaving the state. The Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture has mapped hundreds of native-trout streams here, most of them hike-in and unpressured. It's the densest variety of coldwater fishing east of the Rockies.

Insider tip

The North Fork of the Moormans, the Rapidan, and the Rose are three Shenandoah National Park streams where native brook trout still live as they have for 10,000 years. Go in April or October — the park is quieter and the trout are most active. Fiberglass rod, small dry flies, and patience with the rhododendron.

Explore Virginia