Virginia Fishing Water Quality
Find the best fishing spots in Virginia with real-time water quality data
Stations with the freshest data in Virginia
APPOMATTOX RIVER AT MATOACA, VA
WAR BRANCH BELOW TRIB NEAR TENTH LEGION, VA
DIFFICULT RUN ABOVE FOX LAKE NEAR FAIRFAX, VA
S F LITTLE DIFFICULT RUN ABOVE MOUTH NR VIENNA, VA
SNAKEDEN BRANCH ABOVE LAKE AUDUBON AT RESTON, VA
THE GLADE NEAR HOWLAND DRIVE AT RESTON, VA
RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER NEAR FREDERICKSBURG, VA
PAMUNKEY RIVER NEAR HANOVER, VA
MATTAPONI RIVER NEAR BEULAHVILLE, VA
JAMES RIVER AT CARTERSVILLE, VA
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Fishing Closures
Virginia not yet covered — verify officiallyVerify before fishing
Regulations can change by season, species, and water body.
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
PermanentNo FishingChincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
PermanentNo FishingEastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge
PermanentNo FishingFisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge
PermanentNo FishingNansemond National Wildlife Refuge
PermanentNo FishingPlum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge
PermanentNo FishingWallops Island National Wildlife Refuge
PermanentNo FishingWreck Island Natural Area Preserve
PermanentNo FishingCape Charles Coastal Habitat Natural Area Preserve
SpeciesNorth Landing River Natural Area Preserve
SpeciesParkers Marsh Natural Area Preserve
SpeciesWilliam B. Trower Bayshore Natural Area Preserve
SpeciesAssateague Island National Seashore
GearBethel Beach Natural Area Preserve
GearBush Mill Stream Natural Area Preserve
GearChesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve - Virginia
GearChincoteague Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Sanctuary
GearChotank Creek Natural Area Preserve
GearCumberland Marsh Natural Area Preserve
GearShowing 20 of 29 closures.
About Fishing in Virginia
Virginia offers diverse fishing opportunities with 690 water quality monitoring stations tracking conditions across the state. Whether you're looking for bass, trout, catfish, or other species, our real-time water quality data helps you find the best fishing spots.
Understanding Readiness Scores
The readiness score (0–100) reflects how current and complete a station's public data is — how recently it reported and how many parameters it carries — not a grade of the water itself. A higher score means more up-to-date, more complete data. The direct assessment of water conditions (dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, bacteria) is shown on each spot page, where those measured values are evaluated.
Planning Your Fishing Trip
Before heading out, always check local regulations and obtain the required fishing license. Water quality conditions can change rapidly, so we recommend checking scores on the day of your trip for the most accurate information.