See every public fishing venue in Virginia on the map, with boat ramps, camping, parking and full rules for each one.
Third Branch is a public river in Chesterfield 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 public-trust river.
A Virginia smallmouth river (the upper James, the Shenandoah and its forks, the Maury, Cowpasture, Jackson and Rappahannock) — smallmouth bass on the ledges and grass beds, redbreast sunfish ('redeyes'), rock bass, and a strong muskellunge fishery on the James and Shenandoah. Classic wade-and-float bronzeback water.
It runs roughly 5 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. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Third Branch Lake and Beaver 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: Most Virginia rivers are waded or floated by canoe, kayak and jon boat; the tidal James, Chickahominy, Pamunkey, Mattaponi, Rappahannock and the New below Claytor take bigger craft.
Bank & bivvy camping: You may fish and float any navigable Virginia river on a freshwater fishing licence above the fall line (a saltwater licence applies on tidal water below it). Bank access is at VDWR boat ramps and fishing piers, state parks, Wildlife Management Areas, national-forest land and bridge crossings; riparian owners control the bank elsewhere. A trout licence is required on designated stocked trout sections from 1 October to 15 June.
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: 1 mapped — Boat ramp.
Camping: 1 site mapped nearby — Pocahontas State Park Campground.
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 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.
Open the Virginia map Start your free trial