See every public fishing venue in Virginia on the map, with boat ramps, camping, parking and full rules for each one.
James River is a public river in Amherst County, Botetourt County, Buckingham County, Goochland County, Henrico County and Charles City 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 James — Virginia's signature river, 340 miles from the Cowpasture/Jackson confluence to Hampton Roads. The upper and middle river (Iron Gate to Richmond) is one of the best smallmouth-bass floats in the country, with muskellunge, redbreast and rock bass. Below Richmond it goes tidal: trophy blue catfish, largemouth, and a spring striped-bass and shad run.
It runs roughly 298 miles through the Piedmont region. Anglers here mostly fish for smallmouth bass, redbreast sunfish, rock bass, bluegill; fallfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish, muskellunge are also on record. Live flow and gauge height come from the James River At Holcomb Rock, Va USGS station shown below. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Picketts Creek Reservoir and Muddy 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: 20 mapped — Buchanan, Boat ramp, Irongate, Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp and others nearby.
Camping: 18 sites mapped nearby — Canoe Landing Campground, Tent Camping, Campsite, Campsite, Campsite, Campsite and others.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Loading live flow & gauge height…
Live from USGS gauge 02025500 — James River At Holcomb Rock, 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.
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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