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Lake Laura is a public lake in Shenandoah 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 VDWR-managed small lake or a Department-leased city/county lake — largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, channel catfish and crappie, with rainbow trout stocked into a number of them through the cool months (the Community Fishing / urban programme). Managed for easy bank and pier access.
Lake Laura covers about 45 acres in the Piedmont region. Anglers here mostly fish for largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, channel catfish; black crappie, rainbow trout are also on record. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Lake Carroll and Mill Creek.
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.
Tackle: Statewide black-bass daily limit is 5 (12-inch minimum), but many waters carry their own slot or minimum — Briery Creek, Sandy River, Lake Gaston, the Chickahominy and others. Crappie 25 on most waters; striped-bass and muskellunge limits and seasons vary by water; the Roanoke/Staunton and tidal-river striped-bass seasons are tightly regulated. Trout creel and tackle rules depend on the stream's designation (stocked, wild, special regulation, catch-and-release). Check the current VDWR regulations for this water.
Camping: 1 site mapped nearby — The Old Dominion Equestrian Endurance Organization.
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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