UTERJanuary
James River blues
Trophy season.
The James to Smith Mountain
Virginia freshwater fishing
What's biting in Virginia freshwater in October: striped bass, white perch and largemouth bass at their peak, with bluegill, redear sunfish and redbreast sunfish around too. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows 26 fish here month by month, from James River to Chickahominy River.
Fall feed
The tidal James' trophy blue cats, Smith Mountain's stripers, the New and the James for smallmouth and muskie, Kerr and Gaston, and Shenandoah valley trout.
James RiverSmith Mountain LakeKerr ReservoirNew RiverLake AnnaChickahominy River
Updated
Now · October
Fall feed
Stripers.
Largemouth bassSmallmouth bassBlue catfishStriped bassBlack crappie (speck)Muskellunge (muskie)
This month here
From the season calendar, best firstPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakSpawningPeakAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAroundAround
Striped bass
White perch
Largemouth bass
Smallmouth bass
Black crappie (speck)
Muskellunge (muskie)
Channel catfish
Blue catfish
White bass
Hybrid striped bass (sunshine)
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
Brook trout
Northern snakehead
Bluegill
Redear sunfish (shellcracker)
Redbreast sunfish
Yellow perch
Walleye
Chain pickerel
White catfish
Brown bullhead
Common carp
Longnose gar
Bowfin (mudfish)
The water
Structure that matters
LakeReservoirRiverCreek / streamPond / pitDock / pilingsBridgeBoat ramp
Month by month
What's happening, and what to throwFebruary
Blues peak
Cut shad.
March
Crappie and walleye
Kerr.
April
Shad on the James
Fall line.
May
Bass beds
Chickahominy.
June
Snakeheads
Potomac tribs.
July
River smallmouth
New and James.
August
Peak river smallies
Wading.
September
Fall
Schools.
October · now
Fall feed
Stripers.
November
Muskie
New River.
December
Winter blues
Tidal James.
Fish guides for Virginia freshwater
When, where and what to use, fish by fishFish it with the tide in your pocket
Fish Scouter scores every species for this hour on this water, draws every reef and wreck near you, and keeps your spots. $9.99 a month, 14 days free.
Start 14 free daysOther waters
Fresh water by stateAlabama fresh waterAlaska fresh waterArizona fresh waterArkansas fresh waterCalifornia fresh waterColorado fresh waterConnecticut fresh waterDelaware fresh waterFlorida fresh waterGeorgia fresh waterHawaii fresh waterIowa fresh waterIdaho fresh waterIllinois fresh waterIndiana fresh waterKansas fresh waterKentucky fresh waterLouisiana fresh waterMaine fresh waterMaryland fresh waterMassachusetts fresh waterMichigan fresh waterMinnesota fresh waterMississippi fresh waterMissouri fresh waterMontana fresh waterNebraska fresh waterNevada fresh waterNew Hampshire fresh waterNew Jersey fresh waterNew Mexico fresh waterNew York fresh waterNorth Carolina fresh waterNorth Dakota fresh waterOhio fresh waterOklahoma fresh waterOregon fresh waterPennsylvania fresh waterRhode Island fresh waterSouth Carolina fresh waterSouth Dakota fresh waterTennessee fresh waterTexas fresh waterUtah fresh waterVermont fresh waterWashington fresh waterWest Virginia fresh waterWisconsin fresh waterWyoming fresh water