Our Fisheries
With a wide range of fisheries to target trout in Virginia it may be hard to choose the best destination for your trip. Don't worry though I have spent the last decade focusing on exploring trout streams (specifically wild trout) all over Virginia, from the Mount Rodgers area to Shenandoah National Park. After dedicating so much time to finding new water I began to focus on the best streams and figuring out the tactics to best fish them. Below is a sample of some of my favorite fisheries and what you can expect fishing them.
St Mary's River
One of the more scenic and rugged areas to fish for trout in central VA the St Mary's wilderness area is just that, a true east coast wilderness. You will find beautiful native brook trout in the crystal clear waters here. Unique rock formations and waterfalls also add to the charisma of this fishery.
Jackson River
The Jackson river is one of the top trout fisheries in the state of Virginia. From its headwaters in Highland county all the way to the tail waters in Covington trout can be found throughout. The upper sections of the
river are heavily spring influenced supporting wild rainbow trout, brown trout, and native brook trout. There are put and take as well as special reguated stocked areas near Hidden Valley and Poor Farm too. Below lake Moomaw the river is a tail water fishery with temperatures regulated by the deep waters of the lake. Brown trout and rainbow trout reproduce here in good numbers and can reach sizes in the two foot range. Trout fishing on the Jackson river can be done on foot wading the headwaters or by floating the lower sections.
Southwest Virginia
Trout fishing in southwest VA is a pleasure to experience. Grayson, Smyth, Washington, Patrick, Floyd, and Giles counties all have a number of great wild trout fisheries sprinkled throughout them. The area surrounding Mount Rodgers is a hot spot for trout fishing especially, with streams like Whitetop Laurel Creek and the South Fork of the Holston River offering the best opportunities for large wild trout in this area. Smaller streams like Little Stony Creek and Rock Castle Creek tend to have smaller trout but are located in gorgeous places.
Smith River
The Smith River is another fantastic tail water fishery located near Martinsville, VA. Wild brown trout are the main target species in this fishery and some state record size brown trout have been caught here in the past. However unlike the Jackson tail water the Smith also receives monthly stockings of rainbow trout and brook trout from October to June. There is over 20 miles of trout water on the Smith with good access to wade or float fish.
Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah