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Clinch River is a public river in Russell County, Scott County, Tazewell County and Wise County, Virginia, managed by Commonwealth of Virginia (public / navigable water). You can fish it on a Virginia freshwater licence above the fall line (a saltwater licence applies on tidal water below it); bank access is at road crossings, parks, VDWR ramps and other public land, and riparian owners control the bank elsewhere. Public access confirmed via marquee water.
The Clinch — a Southwest Virginia river of national conservation importance, holding one of the richest assemblages of freshwater fish and mussels in North America. Smallmouth bass, rock bass, redbreast sunfish, walleye and muskellunge for anglers; wade or float from Richlands down to the Tennessee line.
It runs roughly 149 miles through the Southwest Virginia region. Anglers here mostly fish for smallmouth bass, rock bass, redbreast sunfish, walleye; muskellunge, channel catfish, flathead catfish, largemouth bass are also on record. Live flow and gauge height come from the Clinch River At Speers Ferry, Va USGS station shown below. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Lake Bonaventure and Dumps 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.
Boat ramps: 4 mapped — Boat ramp, Saint Paul Boat Launch, Boat ramp, Boat ramp.
Camping: 2 sites mapped nearby — Campsite, Campsite.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Loading live flow & gauge height…
Live from USGS gauge 03527000 — Clinch River At Speers Ferry, Va. Full gauge data →
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 navigable rivers above the fall line. Below the fall line (tidal water) a saltwater fishing licence applies instead. A trout licence is required on designated stocked trout sections from 1 October to 15 June.
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