{"data":{"id":"us-va/4vac15-320-25","jurisdiction":"us-va","citation":"4VAC15-320-25","heading":"Creel and length limits","body":"The creel limits, including live possession, and the length limits for the various species of fish shall be as follows, unless otherwise excepted by posted rules at department-owned or department-controlled waters (see 4VAC15-320-100 D).\n\nType of fish\n\nSubtype or location\n\nCreel and length limits\n\nGeographic exceptions\n\nCreel or length limits for exceptions\n\nlargemouth bass, smallmouth bass\n\n5 per day in the aggregate (combined)\n\nNo statewide length limits\n\nLakes\n\nBriery Creek Lake\n\nNo largemouth or smallmouth bass 16 to 24 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass per day in the aggregate longer than 24 inches\n\nBuggs Island (Kerr)\n\nOnly 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches\n\nClaytor Lake\n\nNo smallmouth bass less than 14 inches\n\nFlannagan Reservoir\n\nNo smallmouth bass less than 15 inches\n\nNo largemouth bass less than 12 inches\n\nLake Gaston\n\nOnly 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches\n\nLeesville Reservoir\n\nOnly 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches\n\nLake Moomaw\n\nNo largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 12 inches\n\nSmith Mountain Lake and its tributaries below Niagara Dam\n\nOnly 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches\n\nRivers\n\nClinch River – within the boundaries of Scott, Wise, Russell, or Tazewell Counties\n\nNo largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches\n\nLevisa Fork River – within the boundaries Buchanan County\n\nNo largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches\n\nDan River and tributaries downstream from the Union Street Dam, Danville\n\nOnly 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 14 inches\n\nJames River – Confluence of the Jackson and Cowpasture rivers (Botetourt County) downstream to the 14th Street Bridge in Richmond\n\nNo largemouth or smallmouth bass 14 to 22 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 22 inches\n\nNew River – Fields Dam (Grayson County) downstream to the VA - WV state line and its tributaries Little River downstream from Little River Dam in Montgomery County, Big Walker Creek from the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge downstream to the New River, and Wolf Creek from the Narrows Dam downstream to the New River in Giles County (This does not include Claytor Lake, which is delineated as: The upper end of the island at Allisonia downstream to the dam)\n\nNo largemouth or smallmouth bass 14 to 22 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 22 inches\n\nNorth Fork Holston River - Rt. 91 bridge upstream of Saltville, VA downstream to the VA - TN state line\n\nNo largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches\n\nPotomac River - Virginia tidal tributaries above Rt. 301 bridge\n\nNo largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 15 inches from March 1 through June 15\n\nRoanoke (Staunton) River - and its tributaries below Difficult Creek, Charlotte County\n\nOnly 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches\n\nShenandoah River, South Fork Shenandoah River, North Fork Shenandoah River\n\nNo largemouth or smallmouth bass 11 to 14 inches\n\nStaunton River -\n\nLeesville Dam (Campbell County) downstream to the mouth of Difficult Creek, Charlotte County\n\nNo largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches\n\nAlabama bass, spotted bass\n\nNo statewide daily limit\n\nNo statewide length limit\n\nstriped bass\n\nlandlocked striped bass and landlocked striped bass - white bass hybrids\n\n4 per day in the aggregate\n\nNo fish less than 20 inches\n\nBuggs Island (Kerr) Reservoir, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Leesville Dam and the Dan River and its tributaries to Union Street Dam (Danville)\n\nOctober 1 - May 31: 2 per day in the aggregate; no striped bass or hybrid striped bass less than 20 inches or greater than 26 inches\n\nJune 1 - September 30: 4 per day in the aggregate; no length limit\n\nClaytor Lake and its tributaries\n\nSeptember 16 – June 30: 2 per day in the aggregate; no striped bass or hybrid bass less than 20 inches\n\nJuly 1 – September 15: 4 per day in the aggregate;\n\nno length limit\n\nSmith Mountain Lake and its tributaries, including the Roanoke River upstream to Niagara Dam\n\n2 per day in the aggregate\n\nNovember 1 - May 31: No striped bass 30 to 40 inches\n\nJune 1 - October 31: No length limit\n\nLake Gaston\n\n4 per day in the aggregate\n\nOctober 1 - May 31: No striped bass or hybrid striped bass less than 20 inches\n\nJune 1 - September 30: No length limit\n\nanadromous (coastal) striped bass above the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay and Crane Lake (City of Suffolk)\n\nCreel and length limits shall be set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for recreational fishing in tidal waters\n\nanadromous (coastal) in the Meherrin, Nottoway, Blackwater (Chowan Drainage), North Landing and Northwest Rivers and their tributaries plus Back Bay\n\nNo possession\n\nwhite bass\n\n5 per day\n\nNo statewide length limits\n\nBuggs Island (Kerr) Reservoir, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Leesville Dam and the Dan River and its tributaries to Union Street Dam (Danville)\n\n10 per day; no white bass less than 14 inches\n\nLake Gaston\n\n10 per day; no white bass less than 14 inches\n\nwalleye, saugeye\n\n5 per day in the aggregate\n\nNo walleye or saugeye less than 18 inches\n\nClaytor Lake and the New River upstream of Claytor Lake Dam to Fries Dam in Grayson County\n\n2 walleye per day; no walleye 19 to 28 inches\n\nsauger\n\n2 per day\n\nNo statewide length limits\n\nyellow perch\n\nNo statewide daily limit\n\nNo statewide length limits\n\nLake Moomaw\n\n10 per day\n\nBelow the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay\n\nNo yellow perch less than 9 inches; no daily limit\n\nchain pickerel and northern pike\n\n5 per day\n\nNo statewide length limits\n\nGaston and Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoirs\n\nNo daily limit\n\nmuskellunge\n\n1 per day\n\nNo muskellunge less than 40 inches\n\nNew River - Claytor Dam downstream to the VA - WV state line\n\n1 per day\n\nJune 1 - last day of February: No muskellunge 40 to 48 inches\n\nMarch 1 - May 31: No muskellunge less than 48 inches\n\nbluegill (bream) and other sunfish excluding crappie, rock bass (redeye) and Roanoke bass\n\n50 per day in the aggregate\n\nNo statewide length limits\n\nGaston and Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoirs, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Difficult Creek, Charlotte County and the Dan River and its tributaries to the Banister River, Halifax County and that portion of the New River from the VA - NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little Rivers in Grayson County\n\nNo daily limit\n\ncrappie (black or white)\n\n25 per day in the aggregate\n\nNo statewide length limits\n\nLake Gaston and that portion of the New River from the VA - NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little Rivers in Grayson County\n\nNo daily limit\n\nBuggs Island (Kerr) Reservoir, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Difficult Creek, Charlotte County and the Dan River and its tributaries to the Banister River, Halifax County\n\nNo crappie less than 9 inches\n\nBriery Creek and Sandy River Reservoirs\n\nNo crappie less than 9 inches\n\nFlannagan and South Holston Reservoirs\n\nNo crappie less than 10 inches\n\nrock bass (redeye)\n\n25 per day; in the aggregate with Roanoke bass\n\nNo statewide length limits\n\nGaston and Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoirs and that portion of the New River from the VA - NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little Rivers in Grayson County\n\nNo daily limit\n\nNottoway, Meherrin, Blackwater (Franklin County), Blackwater (Chowan Drainage), Falling, and Smith Rivers and their tributaries\n\n5 per day in the aggregate with Roanoke bass;\n\nno rock bass less than 8 inches\n\nRoanoke bass\n\n25 per day in the aggregate with rock bass\n\nNo statewide length limits\n\nNottoway, Meherrin, Blackwater (Franklin County), Blackwater (Chowan Drainage), Falling, and Smith Rivers and their tributaries\n\n5 per day in the aggregate with rock bass;\n\nno Roanoke bass less than 8 inches\n\ntrout\n\nSee 4VAC15-330. Fish: Trout Fishing.\n\ncatfish\n\nchannel, white, and flathead catfish\n\n20 per day;\n\nNo length limits\n\nAll rivers below the fall line\n\nNo daily limit\n\nblue catfish\n\n20 per day;\n\nNo statewide length limits\n\nLake Gaston\n\nNo daily limit, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches\n\nKerr Reservoir, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Difficult Creek, Charlotte County and the Dan River and its tributaries to the Banister River, Halifax County\n\n20 per day, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches\n\nJames River and its tributaries below the fall line downstream to a line connecting Hog Point on Hog Island (Surry County) and the downstream point of the mouth of College Creek (James City County)\n\nNo daily limit, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches\n\nAll rivers below the fall line other than the James River and its tributaries, Rappahannock River and its tributaries, and the York River and its tributaries\n\nNo daily limit\n\nhickory shad\n\nAbove and below the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay\n\nCreel and length limits shall be the same as those set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in tidal rivers\n\nMeherrin River below Emporia Dam Nottoway River, Blackwater River (Chowan Drainage), North Landing and Northwest Rivers, and their tributaries plus Back Bay\n\n10 per day\n\nNo length limits\n\nAmerican shad\n\nNo possession\n\nanadromous (coastal) alewife and blueback herring\n\nAbove and below the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay\n\nCreel and length limits shall be the same as those set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for these species in tidal rivers\n\nMeherrin River, Nottoway River, Blackwater River (Chowan Drainage), North Landing and Northwest Rivers, and their tributaries plus Back Bay\n\nNo possession\n\nred drum\n\nBack Bay and tributaries including Lake Tecumseh and the North Landing River and its tributaries\n\n1 per day\n\nNo drum less than 18 inches or greater than 27 inches\n\nspotted sea trout (speckled trout)\n\nBack Bay and tributaries including Lake Tecumseh and the North Landing River and its tributaries\n\n4 per day\n\nNo sea trout less than 14 inches\n\ngrey trout (weakfish)\n\nBack Bay and tributaries including Lake Tecumseh and North Landing River and its tributaries\n\n1 per day\n\nNo grey trout less than 12 inches\n\nsouthern flounder\n\nBack Bay and tributaries including Lake Tecumseh and the North Landing River and its tributaries\n\n6 per day\n\nNo flounder less than 15 inches\n\nnorthern snakehead\n\nAnglers may possess snakeheads taken from Virginia waters if they immediately kill the fish and notify the headquarters or a regional office of the department; notification may be made by telephoning (804) 367-2925\n\nNo statewide daily limit\n\nNo statewide length limits\n\nlongnose gar\n\nJuly 1 to April 14: 5 per day\n\nApril 15 to June 30: 1 per day\n\nNo statewide length limits\n\nbowfin\n\nJuly 1 to April 14: 5 per day\n\nApril 15 to June 30: 1 per day\n\nNo statewide length limits\n\nAmerican eel\n\n25 per day\n\nNo eel less than 9 inches\n\nBack Bay and North Landing River\n\nNo possession limit for those individuals possessing a permit obtained under 4VAC15-340-80\n\nother native or naturalized nongame fish\n\nSee 4VAC15-360-10. Fish: Aquatic Invertebrates, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Nongame Fish. Taking aquatic invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, and nongame fish for private use.\n\nendangered or threatened fish\n\nSee 4VAC15-20-130. Definitions and Miscellaneous: In General. Endangered and threatened species; adoption of federal list; additional species enumerated.\n\nnonnative (exotic) fish\n\nSee 4VAC15-30-40. Definitions and Miscellaneous: Importation, Possession, Sale, Etc., of Animals. Importation requirements, possession and sale of nonnative (exotic) animals.","path":["Title 4. Conservation And Natural Resources","Agency 15. Department of Wildlife Resources","Chapter 320. Fish: Fishing Generally"],"source_url":"https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title4/agency15/chapter320/section25/","current_through":"2026 Regular Session (effective July 1, 2026)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T04:45:25Z","sha256":"ad301c5dc408090ed0326fc81902fe6c40b2da05eacf353d066d2bea0fa2c44b","source_id":"us-va-vac","stale":false,"prev":"us-va/4vac15-320-10","next":"us-va/4vac15-320-40"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}