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Virginia DWR Trout Stocking Season Opens October 1 + Expanded Trout Fishing Opportunities in Southwestern Virginia
Richmond, VA — The Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is excited to announce the start of the 2022/2023 Trout Stocking season. Between October 1 and May 31, DWR hatchery staff will stock nearly one million brook, brown, rainbow, and tiger trout into 200 waters throughout Virginia. These stockings support a diverse array of fishing opportunities including put and take, delayed harvest and catch and release waters for over 60,000 anglers per year.
According to Brendan Delbos, Statewide Hatchery Superintendent, “The variable precipitation patterns over the last several months have created challenging conditions at some of DWR’s trout hatcheries, but our staff has done an incredible job preparing for the upcoming stocking season. I expect to see some quality stockings throughout the year.”
DWR’s five trout hatcheries (Coursey Springs, Marion, Montebello, Paint Bank, and Wytheville) are open to the public daily from 8:00am -3:00pm. A trout license, in addition to a freshwater fishing license, is required of all anglers over 16 fishing designated stocked trout waters between October 1 and June 15.
Additional information on DWR trout stockings and fish hatcheries can be found here: dwr.virginia.gov/fishing/fish-stocking/
Trout anglers in southwestern Virginia will have some additional trout fishing opportunities when DWR’s stocked trout season kicks off.
Two new sections of the Middle Fork Holston River, flowing through the Town of Marion in Smyth County, will now be stocked with catchable trout. The first section is the portion of river flowing in front of Marion’s Carl Taylor Pool. The second is the section of river that flows through the Wilderness Road Garden Club Park operated by the Town of Marion’s Parks and Recreation Department. Both of these sections are expansions of the existing stocked trout waters of the Middle Fork Holston that flow through the town. These area will be considered A waters and will receive eight stockings between October 1 and May 31.
Last March, the very popular Clito Road section of Elk Creek in Grayson County was removed from the stocked trout program after the loss of the majority of public access along that section. Fortunately, willing landowners have stepped up to offer fishing access to the public, and another section of Elk Creek has been added back to the list of stocked trout waters. This section flows along Carsonville Road (Route 660) from near the intersection with Route 696 to approximately 0.5 mile below the Route 654 Bridge.
Trout must be at least 7 inches long to harvest, and anglers are allowed a daily limit of 6 trout. Anglers fishing stocked trout waters statewide are reminded to respect landowners and their property. This will help to insure continued stream access, which is essential to the continuation of the stocked trout program.
For additional information, please contact DWR’s Marion Regional Office at (276) 783-4860.