See every public fishing venue in Virginia on the map, with boat ramps, camping, parking and full rules for each one.
Bear Creek Lake is a public lake in Cumberland County, Virginia, managed by Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. It is public water managed for fishing by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Public access confirmed via VDWR public water.
A stocked mountain trout lake (Moomaw, Douthat, Sherando, Skidmore/Switzer, Hone Quarry, Elkhorn, Coles Run, Mills Creek) — put-and-take rainbow, brown and brook trout stocked in the cool months, with smallmouth or largemouth bass, crappie, yellow perch and channel catfish the rest of the year. A trout licence is required.
Bear Creek Lake covers about 41 acres in the Piedmont region. Anglers here mostly fish for rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, smallmouth bass; largemouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish are also on record. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Bear Creek and Arrowhead Lake.
Species from PiscaMaps water-type profiles, VDWR trout designations and hand research.
Night fishing: No statewide night-fishing closure in Virginia. Some VDWR lakes and city reservoirs have posted hours or gate at dark, and a few stocked-trout waters and special-regulation sections have daylight-only rules — check the water-specific regulations. Trotlines and set poles are legal on most non-trout waters with the lines tagged.
Boats: The big power and Corps reservoirs (Smith Mountain, Kerr, Gaston, Anna, Claytor, Moomaw, South Holston) have no horsepower limit; idle / no-wake zones are marked near ramps, dams and marinas. Most VDWR lakes are electric-motor-only or have a gas-motor horsepower cap, and many Tidewater city reservoirs are car-top / electric only and need a launch permit. Virginia requires a boater-education card for all motorboat operators.
Bank & bivvy camping: Camp at Virginia state parks (which sit on many of the best waters — Claytor Lake, Smith Mountain Lake, Douthat, Hungry Mother, Staunton River, Kiptopeke, Occoneechee on Kerr), Corps campgrounds on Kerr, Gaston and Moomaw, and the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. Dispersed camping is allowed on much of the national-forest land along the trout streams; VDWR boat ramps and Wildlife Management Areas are day-use unless posted otherwise.
Boat ramps: 1 mapped — Boat ramp.
Camping: 3 sites mapped nearby — Bear Creek Lake State Park - Acorn Loop, Black Creek Lake State Park - Black Oak Loop, Black Creek Lake State Park - Chestnut Loop.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Anyone 16+ needs a Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources freshwater fishing licence — resident annual is about $24, non-resident annual about $47, and short-term (1-day / 5-day) licences are sold. A separate trout licence (~$24 resident) is required from 1 October to 15 June to fish designated stocked trout waters, and many of those in national forest also need a National Forest permit (~$5). Residents 65+ can buy discounted or free licences; a saltwater fishing licence (VMRC) covers tidal waters below the fall line. Buy from VDWR. A Virginia freshwater fishing licence covers this water. Kerr Reservoir and Lake Gaston are fished lake-wide on a Virginia or North Carolina licence; South Holston on a Virginia or Tennessee licence with the reciprocal stamp.
Every water carries species, bank & boat access, current regulations and live water conditions — and members get Swim Mapper, Catch Logger and Trip Planner. It's the only US map with a dedicated carp-water layer.
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