Final Text
The creel limits (including live possession) and the length limits for the various species of fish shall be as follows, unless otherwise excepted by posted rules at department-owned or department-controlled waters (see 4VAC15-320-100 D).
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Type of fish |
Subtype or location |
Creel and length limits |
Geographic exceptions |
Creel or length limits for exceptions |
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largemouth bass, smallmouth bass |
5 per day in the aggregate (combined) No statewide length limits |
Lakes |
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Briery Creek Lake |
No largemouth or smallmouth bass 16 to 24 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass per day in the aggregate longer than 24 inches |
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Buggs Island (Kerr) |
Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches |
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Claytor Lake |
No smallmouth bass less than 14 inches |
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Flannagan Reservoir |
No smallmouth bass less than 15 inches No largemouth bass less than 12 inches |
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Lake Gaston |
Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches |
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Leesville Reservoir |
Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches |
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Lake Moomaw |
No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 12 inches |
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Philpott Reservoir |
No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 12 inches |
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Quantico Marine Base waters |
No largemouth or smallmouth bass 12 to 15 inches |
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Smith Mountain Lake and its tributaries below Niagara Dam |
Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches |
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Rivers |
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Clinch River – within the boundaries of Scott, Wise, Russell, or Tazewell Counties |
No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches |
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Levisa Fork River – within the boundaries Buchanan County |
No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches |
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Dan River and tributaries downstream from the Union Street Dam, Danville |
Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 14 inches |
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James River – Confluence of the Jackson and Cowpasture rivers (Botetourt County) downstream to the 14th Street Bridge in Richmond |
No largemouth or smallmouth bass 14 to 22 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 22 inches |
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New River – Fields Dam (Grayson County) downstream to the VA - WV state line and its tributaries Little River downstream from Little River Dam in Montgomery County, Big Walker Creek from the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge downstream to the New River, and Wolf Creek from the Narrows Dam downstream to the New River in Giles County (This does not include Claytor Lake, which is delineated as: The upper end of the island at Allisonia downstream to the dam) |
No largemouth or smallmouth bass 14 to 22 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 22 inches |
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North Fork Holston River - Rt. 91 bridge upstream of Saltville, VA downstream to the VA - TN state line |
No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches |
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Potomac River - Virginia tidal tributaries above Rt. 301 bridge |
No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 15 inches from March 1 through June 15 |
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Roanoke (Staunton) River - and its tributaries below Difficult Creek, Charlotte County |
Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches |
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Shenandoah River, South Fork Shenandoah River, North Fork Shenandoah River |
No largemouth or smallmouth bass 11 to 14 inches |
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Staunton River - |
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Leesville Dam (Campbell County) downstream to the mouth of Difficult Creek, Charlotte County |
No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches |
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Alabama bass, spotted bass |
No statewide daily limit No statewide length limit |
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striped bass |
landlocked striped bass and landlocked striped bass - white bass hybrids |
4 per day in the aggregate No fish less than 20 inches |
Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoir, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Leesville Dam and the Dan River and its tributaries to Union Street Dam (Danville) |
October 1 - May 31: 2 per day in the aggregate; no striped bass or hybrid striped bass less than 20 inches or greater than 26 inches June 1 - September 30: 4 per day in the aggregate; no length limit |
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Claytor Lake and its tributaries |
September 16 – June 30: 2 per day in the aggregate; no striped bass or hybrid bass less than 20 inches July 1 – September 15: 4 per day in the aggregate; |
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Smith Mountain Lake and its tributaries, including the Roanoke River upstream to Niagara Dam |
2 per day in the aggregate November 1 - May 31: No striped bass 30 to 40 inches June 1 - October 31: No length limit |
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Lake Gaston |
4 per day in the aggregate October 1 - May 31: No striped bass or hybrid striped bass less than 20 inches June 1 - September 30: No length limit |
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anadromous (coastal) striped bass above the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay |
Creel and length limits shall be set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for recreational fishing in tidal waters |
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anadromous (coastal) in the Meherrin, Nottoway, Blackwater (Chowan Drainage), North Landing and Northwest Rivers and their tributaries plus Back Bay |
2 per day No striped bass less than 18 inches |
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white bass |
5 per day No statewide length limits |
Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoir, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Leesville Dam and the Dan River and its tributaries to Union Street Dam (Danville) |
10 per day; no white bass less than 14 inches |
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Lake Gaston |
10 per day; no white bass less than 14 inches |
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walleye, saugeye |
5 per day in the aggregate No walleye or saugeye less than 18 inches |
Claytor Lake and the New River upstream of Claytor Lake Dam to |
2 walleye per day; no walleye 19 to 28 inches |
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sauger |
2 per day No statewide length limits |
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yellow perch |
No statewide daily limit No statewide length limits |
Lake Moomaw |
10 per day |
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Below the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay |
No yellow perch less than 9 inches; no daily limit |
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chain pickerel |
5 per day No statewide length limits |
Gaston and Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoirs |
No daily limit |
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northern pike |
2 per day No pike less than 20 inches |
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muskellunge |
2 per day No muskellunge less than 30 inches |
New River - Fields Dam (Grayson County) downstream to Claytor Dam, including Claytor Lake |
1 per day; no muskellunge less than 42 inches |
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New River - Claytor Dam downstream to the VA - WV state line |
1 per day June 1 - last day of February: No muskellunge 40 to 48 inches March 1 - May 31: No muskellunge less than 48 inches |
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bluegill (bream) and other sunfish excluding crappie, rock bass (redeye) and Roanoke bass |
50 per day in the aggregate No statewide length limits |
Gaston and Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoirs, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Difficult Creek, Charlotte County and the Dan River and its tributaries to the Banister River, Halifax County and that portion of the New River from the VA - NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little Rivers in Grayson County |
No daily limit |
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crappie (black or white) |
25 per day in the aggregate No statewide length limits |
Lake Gaston and that portion of the New River from the VA - NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little Rivers in Grayson County |
No daily limit |
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Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoir, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Difficult Creek, Charlotte County and the Dan River and its tributaries to the Banister River, Halifax County |
No crappie less than 9 inches |
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Briery Creek and Sandy River Reservoirs |
No crappie less than 9 inches |
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Flannagan and South Holston Reservoirs |
No crappie less than 10 inches |
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rock bass (redeye) |
25 per day; in the aggregate with Roanoke bass No statewide length limits |
Gaston and Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoirs and that portion of the New River from the VA - NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little Rivers in Grayson County |
No daily limit |
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Nottoway, Meherrin, Blackwater (Franklin County), Falling, and Smith Rivers and their tributaries |
5 per day in the aggregate with Roanoke bass; no rock bass less than 8 inches |
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Roanoke bass |
25 per day in the aggregate with rock bass No statewide length limits |
Nottoway, Meherrin, Blackwater (Franklin County), Falling, and Smith Rivers and their tributaries |
5 per day in the aggregate with rock bass; no Roanoke bass less than 8 inches |
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trout |
See 4VAC15-330. Fish: Trout Fishing. |
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catfish |
channel, white, and flathead catfish |
20 per day; No length limits |
All rivers below the fall line |
No daily limit |
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blue catfish |
20 per day; No statewide length limits |
Lake Gaston |
No daily limit, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches |
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Kerr Reservoir, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Difficult Creek, Charlotte County and the Dan River and its tributaries to the Banister River, Halifax County |
20 per day, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches |
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James River and its tributaries below the fall line, Rappahannock River and its tributaries below the fall line, and York River and its tributaries (including the Pamunkey River and Mattaponi River) below the fall line |
No daily limit, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches |
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All rivers below the fall line other than the James River and its tributaries, Rappahannock River and its tributaries, and the York River and its tributaries |
No daily limit |
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yellow, brown, and black bullheads |
No daily limit; |
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hickory shad |
Above and below the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay |
Creel and length limits shall be the same as those set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in tidal rivers |
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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 |
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American shad |
No possession |
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anadromous (coastal) alewife and blueback herring |
Above and below the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay |
Creel and length limits shall be the same as those set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for these species in tidal rivers |
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Meherrin River, Nottoway River, Blackwater River (Chowan Drainage), North Landing and Northwest Rivers, and their tributaries plus Back Bay |
No possession |
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red drum |
Back Bay and tributaries including Lake Tecumseh and the North Landing River and its tributaries |
1 per day No drum less than 18 inches or greater than 27 inches |
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spotted sea trout (speckled trout) |
Back Bay and tributaries including Lake Tecumseh and the North Landing River and its tributaries |
4 per day No sea trout less than 14 inches |
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grey trout (weakfish) |
Back Bay and tributaries including Lake Tecumseh and North Landing River and its tributaries |
1 per day No grey trout less than 12 inches |
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southern flounder |
Back Bay and tributaries including Lake Tecumseh and the North Landing River and its tributaries |
6 per day No flounder less than 15 inches |
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northern snakehead |
Anglers may possess snakeheads taken from Virginia waters if they immediately kill the fish and notify the headquarters or a regional office of the department; notification may be made by telephoning (804) 367-2925 No statewide daily limit No statewide length limits |
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longnose gar |
July 1 to April 14: 5 per day April 15 to June 30: 1 per day No statewide length limits |
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bowfin |
July 1 to April 14: 5 per day April 15 to June 30: 1 per day No statewide length limits |
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American eel |
25 per day No eel less than 9 inches |
Back Bay and North Landing River |
No possession limit for those individuals possessing a permit obtained under 4VAC15-340-80 |
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other native or naturalized nongame fish |
See 4VAC15-360-10. Fish: Aquatic Invertebrates, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Nongame Fish. Taking aquatic invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, and nongame fish for private use. |
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endangered or threatened fish |
See 4VAC15-20-130. Definitions and Miscellaneous: In General. Endangered and threatened species; adoption of federal list; additional species enumerated. |
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nonnative (exotic) fish |
See 4VAC15-30-40. Definitions and Miscellaneous: Importation, Possession, Sale, Etc., of Animals. Importation requirements, possession and sale of nonnative (exotic) animals. |
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A. It shall be unlawful to stock any species of fish into any inland waters of the Commonwealth without first obtaining written approval to do so from the department. Nothing in this section shall be construed as restricting the use of native and naturalized species of fish in privately-owned ponds and lakes, except spotted bass, blue catfish, and their hybrids may not be stocked.
B. The Department of Wildlife Resources (department) shall issue a written stocking authorization within 15 business days of receipt of a completed Virginia Fish Stocking Authorization Form, unless the department determines that granting such authorization may (i) endanger any native or naturalized population of fish; (ii) introduce, enable, or enhance the spread of fish diseases, including parasites; or (iii) establish nonnative or exotic aquatic species where such species may displace, threaten, or endanger native or naturalized species. Where an exception to issuance exists, the application shall be denied.
C. The department shall set an expiration date for each stocking authorization issued, limit the authorization to a specific species of fish, and geographically limit the stocking authorization.
D. The department is authorized to modify or revoke any stocking authorization where the department discovers any situation listed in subsection B of this section to exist or where otherwise permitted by law or regulation.
Application/permit for striped bass fishing tournament (undated)
Nonresident Harvester's Permit to Take or Catch Fish in Back Bay and its Tributaries (eff. 9/2020)