Maury River Biologist Report 2024
MAURY RIVER
The Maury River runs 42 miles from the confluence of the Calfpasture River and
the Little Calfpasture River near Goshen to its mouth in Glasgow. The entire watershed is
in Rockbridge County, Va. The Maury River provides ample angling opportunities, from
the trout-stocked rapids of Goshen Pass to the deep pools downstream of Buena Vista.
The Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has sampled the Maury River at
several established locations since 1997, all downstream of Goshen Pass. The primary
objective is to obtain population statistics for sport fish and to manage them appropriately
for the anglers of Virginia.
Sport fish of the Maury River include stocked brown and rainbow trout that are
introduced several times annually by DWR in the Goshen Pass area. Smallmouth bass,
redbreast sunfish, rock bass, and carp are the dominant species throughout the system.
Muskellunge and flathead catfish are available in limited number near Glasgow.
Smallmouth Bass
The Maury River is one of the most consistent rivers in the state in terms of Smallmouth Bass production. Staff use raft electrofishing gear to collect the fish and time their sampling effort. As a result, biologists can track the number of fish per hour of electrofishing or catch per unit of effort (CPUE).
During our 2024 spring raft sampling we collected 659 Smallmouth Bass during three 6 mile float trips located within the upper (Alone Mill to Beans Bottom), middle (Jordan Point to Ben Salem Wayside), and lower (Glen Maury Park to Spiller Lock) sections of the Maury (Figure 1). Approximately 28% of the smallmouth were 11” or greater with 9% topping 14”. We caught low numbers of memorable fish with only 2% measuring 17” plus. Anglers should expect to catch good numbers of fish ranging from 7-13”. Compared to other rivers of similar size, the Maury tends to harbor higher numbers of quality sized fish, which are typically found within the lower reaches from Lexington to the mouth of the James. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the number of 11” plus fish we encountered within the upper sections. 27% of the sample of adult fish within the upper site contained fish over 11”, which is a marked increase over the last time it was sampled.
Looking at long term trends, the bass population experienced a small decline in catch rate or CPUE this spring, but much of that can be attributed to the exceptionally low water conditions. Fish tend to avoid capture when the water is clear and head for deeper water where they are out of our reach. Regardless, our catch rate was within the long term average (Figure 2).
Consistent spawning success has driven an increase in the overall population numbers. From 2010 to 2015 the numbers of juvenile bass captured were well below the long term average (Figure 3). This lead to a slight decline in overall catch rate during those years. Fortunately, from 2016 – present the numbers of juveniles have rebounded which has resulted in an overall increase in total catch rate as well as an increase in quality fish >11”.
Figure 1: Number and lengths of smallmouth bass collected from the Maury River in spring 2024. Juvenile bass (less than 7 inches) are represented with red bars, while adult smallmouth bass are shown with blue bars.
Figure 2: Annual catch of smallmouth bass from 1996 – 2024 in the Maury River, the red line represents the historic average catch rate.
Figure 3: Annual catch of juvenile bass (1 year old) from 1996 – 2024 in the Maury River, the red line represents the historic average catch rate.
Sunfish
The Maury is also home to a variety of sunfish including rock bass, redbreast sunfish, green sunfish, pumpkinseed and bluegill. Rock Bass and Redbreast Sunfish are extremely plentiful, range in size from 2-9” and should not be overlooked. Anglers can expect to catch more Rock Bass than Red Breast, as our sunfish ratio is typically 2:1 rock bass to redbreast sunfish. Both populations are very healthy with 20-40% of the sample containing 6”+ fish. The populations also rebounded slightly in 2024 after they experienced a slight decline in 2020 and 2022 (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Annual catch of redbreast sunfish and rockbass from 1996 – 2024 in the Maury River.
The Maury is a very diverse resource, which makes it very interesting to fish. You never know what you may hook into. A small self-sustaining population of Musky and Flathead Catfish are present from the Buena Vista dam downstream to the confluence. We also consistently collect a handful of trout each spring that wash down from various stocked trout waters. In 2025 anglers should expect to catch great numbers of sunfish and smallmouth with a better than average chance to hook into a quality bass throughout the various reaches of the Maury.
If you plan a float trip here; stick to spring and early summer, as low flows can make fishing and navigation difficult later in the year. Stay alert during your float as several class 1 and 2 rapids will be encountered, especially near old lock and dam infrastructure.
