REGULATIONS
Vol. 42 Iss. 25 - July 27, 2026

TITLE 4. CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES
DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES
Chapter 320
Proposed

TITLE 4. CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES

BOARD OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES

Proposed Regulation

REGISTRAR'S NOTICE: The Board of Wildlife Resources is claiming an exemption from the Administrative Process Act pursuant to § 2.2-4002 A 3 of the Code of Virginia when promulgating regulations regarding the management of wildlife.

Title of Regulation: 4VAC15-320. Fish: Fishing Generally (amending 4VAC15-320-25, 4VAC15-320-60).

Statutory Authority: §§ 29.1-103, 29.1-501, and 29.1-502 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Comment Deadline: August 17, 2026.

Agency Contact: Aaron Proctor, Policy Manager, Department of Wildlife Resources, 7870 Villa Park Drive, Suite 400, Henrico, VA 23228, telephone (804) 801-8199, or email aaron.proctor@dwr.virginia.gov.

Summary:

The proposed amendments (i) add size and bag limits for waters shared with Tennessee, specifically those pertaining to smallmouth bass, white bass, crappie, rock bass, trout, and catfish and (ii) add rock bass and flathead catfish to the list of fish that may not be stocked into private lakes and ponds.

4VAC15-320-25. Creel and length limits.

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).

Type of fish

Subtype or location

Creel and length limits

Geographic exceptions

Creel or length limits for exceptions

largemouth bass, smallmouth bass

5 per day in the aggregate (combined)

No statewide length limits

Lakes

Briery Creek Lake

No largemouth or smallmouth bass 16 to 24 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass per day in the aggregate longer than 24 inches

Buggs Island (Kerr)

Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches

Claytor Lake

No smallmouth bass less than 14 inches

Flannagan Reservoir

No smallmouth bass less than 15 inches

No largemouth bass less than 12 inches

Lake Gaston

Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches

Leesville Reservoir

Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches

Lake Moomaw

No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 12 inches

Smith Mountain Lake and its tributaries below Niagara Dam

Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches

South Holston Reservoir

No smallmouth less than 15 inches

Rivers

Clinch River – within the boundaries of Scott, Wise, Russell, or Tazewell Counties

No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches

Levisa Fork River – within the boundaries Buchanan County

No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches

Dan River and tributaries downstream from the Union Street Dam, Danville

Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 14 inches

James River – Confluence of the Jackson and Cowpasture rivers (Botetourt County) downstream to the 14th Street Bridge in Richmond

No largemouth or smallmouth bass 14 to 22 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 22 inches

New 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)

No largemouth or smallmouth bass 14 to 22 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 22 inches

North Fork Holston River - Rt. 91 bridge upstream of Saltville, VA downstream to the VA - TN state line

No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches

Potomac River - Virginia tidal tributaries above Rt. 301 bridge

No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 15 inches from March 1 through June 15

Roanoke (Staunton) River - and its tributaries below Difficult Creek, Charlotte County

Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches

Shenandoah River, South Fork Shenandoah River, North Fork Shenandoah River

No largemouth or smallmouth bass 11 to 14 inches

Staunton River -

Leesville Dam (Campbell County) downstream to the mouth of Difficult Creek, Charlotte County

No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches

EDITOR'S NOTE: Rows Alabama bass through striped bass of 4VAC15-320-25 are not amended; therefore, the text of those rows is not set out.

white bass

5 per day

No statewide length limits

Buggs 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)

10 per day; no white bass less than 14 inches

Lake Gaston

10 per day; no white bass less than 14 inches

No possession

South Holston Reservoir

walleye, saugeye

5 per day in the aggregate

No walleye or saugeye less than 18 inches

Claytor Lake and the New River upstream of Claytor Lake Dam to Fries Dam in Grayson County

2 walleye per day; no walleye 19 to 28 inches

sauger

2 per day

No statewide length limits

yellow perch

No statewide daily limit

No statewide length limits

Lake Moomaw

10 per day

Below the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay

No yellow perch less than 9 inches; no daily limit

chain pickerel and northern pike

5 per day

No statewide length limits

Gaston and Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoirs

No daily limit

muskellunge

1 per day

No muskellunge less than 40 inches

New River - Claytor Dam downstream to the VA - WV state line

1 per day

June 1 - last day of February: No muskellunge 40 to 48 inches

March 1 - May 31: No muskellunge less than 48 inches

bluegill (bream) and other sunfish excluding crappie, rock bass (redeye) and Roanoke bass

50 per day in the aggregate

No statewide length limits

Gaston 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

No daily limit

crappie (black or white)

25 per day in the aggregate

No statewide length limits

Lake 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

No daily limit

Buggs 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

No crappie less than 9 inches

Briery Creek and Sandy River Reservoirs

No crappie less than 9 inches

Flannagan and South Holston Reservoirs Reservoir

No crappie less than 10 inches

South Holston Reservoir

No crappie less than 10 inches, 15 per day

rock bass (redeye)

25 per day; in the aggregate with Roanoke bass

No statewide length limits

Gaston 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

No daily limit

Nottoway, Meherrin, Blackwater (Franklin County), Blackwater (Chowan Drainage), Falling, and Smith Rivers and their tributaries

5 per day in the aggregate with Roanoke bass;

no rock bass less than 8 inches

South Holston Reservoir

20 per day

Roanoke bass

25 per day in the aggregate with rock bass

No statewide length limits

Nottoway, Meherrin, Blackwater (Franklin County), Blackwater (Chowan Drainage), Falling, and Smith Rivers and their tributaries

5 per day in the aggregate with rock bass;

no Roanoke bass less than 8 inches

trout


See 4VAC15-330. Fish: Trout Fishing.

South Holston Reservoir

No minimum length limit; 7 per day, only 2 of which may be lake trout

catfish

channel, white, and flathead catfish

20 per day;

No length limits

All rivers below the fall line

No daily limit

South Holston Reservoir

20 per day, only 1 over 34 inches

blue catfish

20 per day;

No statewide length limits

Lake Gaston

No daily limit, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches

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

20 per day, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches

James 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)

No daily limit, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches

All 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

No daily limit

EDITOR'S NOTE: Rows hickory shad through nonnative (exotic) fish of 4VAC15-320-25 are not amended; therefore, the text of those rows is not set out.

4VAC15-320-60. Approval required to stock fish into inland waters.

A. It shall be unlawful to stock any species of fish into any inland waters of the Commonwealth without first obtaining written approval to do so from the department. Nothing in this section shall be construed as restricting the use of native and naturalized species of fish in privately-owned ponds and lakes, except spotted bass, rock bass, flathead catfish, blue catfish, and their hybrids may not be stocked.

B. The Department of Wildlife Resources (department) shall issue a written stocking authorization within 15 business days of receipt of a completed Virginia Fish Stocking Authorization Form, unless the department determines that granting such authorization may (i) endanger any native or naturalized population of fish; (ii) introduce, enable, or enhance the spread of fish diseases, including parasites; or (iii) establish nonnative or exotic aquatic species where such species may displace, threaten, or endanger native or naturalized species. Where an exception to issuance exists, the application shall be denied.

C. The department shall set an expiration date for each stocking authorization issued, limit the authorization to a specific species of fish, and geographically limit the stocking authorization.

D. The department is authorized to modify or revoke any stocking authorization where the department discovers any situation listed in subsection B of this section to exist or where otherwise permitted by law or regulation.

VA.R. Doc. No. R26-8696; Filed July 07, 2026