2014 Virginia Freshwater Fishing & Watercraft Owner’s Guide Free Fishing Days: June 6–8, 2014 National Safe Boating Week: May 17–23, 2014 www.HuntFishVA.com Table of Contents Freshwater Fishing What’s New For 2014................................................5 Fishing License Information and Fees ....................................5 Commonwealth of Virginia Freshwater/Saltwater License Lines on Tidal Waters .........................8 Terry McAuliffe, Governor Reciprocal Licenses .................................................8 General Freshwater Fishing Regulations ..................................9 Department of Game Game/Sport Fish Regulations.........................................11 Creel and Length Limit Tables .......................................12 and Inland Fisheries Trout Fishing Guide ................................................18 Bob Duncan, Executive Director 2014 Catchable Trout Stocking Plan...................................20 Members of the Board Special Regulation Trout Waters .....................................22 Curtis D. Colgate, Chairman, Virginia Beach Fish Consumption Advisories .........................................26 Ben Davenport, Vice-Chairman, Chatham Nongame Fish, Reptile, Amphibian, and Aquatic Invertebrate Regulations........27 David Bernhardt, Arlington Let’s Go Fishing Lisa Caruso, Church Road Fish Identification and Fishing Information ...............................29 Charles H. Cunningham, Fairfax Public Lakes Guide .................................................37 Garry L. Gray, Bowling Green Major Fishing Rivers................................................46 Vaughn R. Groves, Abingdon The Virginia Angler Recognition Program ................................49 Hugh Palmer, Highland Springs Freshwater Trophy Fish Award Application Form...........................50 F. Scott Reed, Jr., Manakin-Sabot State Record Freshwater Fish .........................................51 Leon O. Turner, Fincastle Mark A. Winkler, DDS, Fairfax Station Virginia Watercraft Owner’s Guide What’s New......................................................53 This booklet is for general information and Watercraft Registration, Titling, and Sales Tax Requirements ..................53 contains information regarding programs, Required Equipment policies, regulations, rules, and fees of the Life Jackets .....................................................55 Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fire Extinguishers ................................................57 Fisheries (VDGIF) current at the time of printing. Backfire Flame Arrestor............................................57 Information and prices are subject to change. Ventilation .....................................................57 Specific laws are found in the Code of Virginia Sound Producing Devices ..........................................57 or the Game Department Regulation Manual. Muffling Device .................................................57 For answers to specific questions about fish- Marine Sanitation Devices..........................................57 ing and boating, contact the Department of Visual Distress Signals .............................................57 Game and Inland Fisheries office nearest you. Summary of Boating Equipment Requirements ..........................58 The Department of Game and Inland Navigation Lights ................................................59 Fisheries prohibits discrimination on the Safe Operation basis of gender, race, color, national origin, Boating Education Information ......................................60 age, religion, or disability. Send all inquiries Virginia Boating Safety Education Requirement ..........................60 to Human Resources, Dept. of Game and Enforcement ...................................................60 Inland Fisheries, P. O. Box 11104, Richmond, Personal Watercraft (PWC) Operation .................................61 VA 23230 or Office for Human Resources, Navigation Rules.................................................61 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Aids to Navigation................................................62 Drive, Mail Stop 2000, Arlington, VA 22203. Other Safety Concerns Boating Accident Reporting.........................................64 The sale of advertising paid a large portion of the cost of this publication. The Department of Naval Protection Zone.............................................64 Game and Inland Fisheries neither endorses the Virginia Boating Accident Report Form.................................65 products or services offered in the advertising, America’s Waterway Watch.........................................67 nor accepts any liability from the use of such Boat Theft Prevention.............................................67 products or services. Carbon Monoxide................................................67 Capsizing and Falls Overboard .......................................67 Enjoying the Water Towed Sports Safety ..............................................67 Environmental Laws ..............................................68 Safe Boating......................................................68 Lake Horsepower Limits .............................................69 VDGIF Boat Ramps and Access Points ...................................69 View regs Cover: Entries from the 2013 Kids ’n Fishing Photo Contest on your Smartphone 3 Message from the Richmond Headquarters 4010 W. Broad St., P.O. Box 11104, Richmond, VA 23230-1104 Executive Director (804) 367-1000; (804) 367-1278 V/TDD nother year has passed Regional Offices A under the bridge and I Region 1– Charles City Region 4–Verona am pleased to report that the 3801 John Tyler Memorial Hwy. P.O. Box 996, 517 Lee Highway recently released “National Charles City, VA 23030 Verona, VA 24482 Hunting and Fishing Survey” (804) 829-6580 (540) 248-9360 indicates that fishing and Region 2–Forest and boating are both on the 1132 Thomas Jefferson Road upswing nationally and here Fredericksburg Forest, VA 24551-9223 1320 Belman Road in Virginia. At DGIF we (434) 525-7522 recognize that the future Fredericksburg, VA 22401 depends on new friends and Region 3– Marion (540) 899-4169 colleagues getting involved in 1796 Highway Sixteen Marion, VA 24354 FREDERICK the outdoors. We work hard CLARKELOUDOUN ARLINGTON (276) 783-4860 FAUQUIERPRINCE WILLIAMFAIRFAX to provide opportunities WARREN SHENANDOAH RAPPAHANNOCK through our Education and ROCKINGHAM PAGE MADISON CULPEPER4 STAFFORD KING Outreach programs (www.HuntFishVA.com/education), HIGHLAND GREENE GEORGE AUGUSTA ORANGE WESTMORELAND SPOTSYLVANIA ALBEMARLE RICHMOND but the most important educators are you, the anglers CAROLINE NORTHUMBERLAND BATH LOUISA ESSEX KING AND QUEEN NELSON HANOVER KING WILLIAM LANCASTER and boaters. So make it a point to introduce a young per- FLUVANNAGOOCHLAND MIDDLESEX ACCOMACK ROCKBRIDGE ALLEGHANY HENRICO son or novice to these sports. AMHERST BUCKINGHAM POWHATAN NEW GLOUCESTERMATHEWS KENT JAMES CHARLES CITY APPOMATTOX CITY CRAIG BOTETOURT CHESTERFIELD CUMBERLANDAMELIA YORK The fishing and boating scene had some notable ROANOKE NEWPORT BUCHANAN NEWS GILES BEDFORD PRINCE NORTHAMPTON MONTGOMERY 2 PRINCE DICKENSON CAMPBELL EDWARD NOTTOWAY GEORGE HAMPTON BLAND SURRY TAZEWELL PULASKI DINWIDDIE PORTSMOUTH high points in 2013. The number of trophy class muskel- CHARLOTTE ISLE OF NORFOLK WISE SUSSEX WIGHT1 VIRGINIA FRANKLIN LUNENBURG BEACH RUSSELL WYTHE FLOYD lunge and walleye being reported from Virginia lakes and SMYTH HALIFAX 3 CARROLL MECKLENBURG SUFFOLK LEE SCOTT WASHINGTON SOUTHAMPTON CHESAPEAKE PATRICK BRUNSWICK rivers continues to increase (www.HuntFishVA.com/ GRAYSON HENRY PITTSYLVANIA GREENSVILLE fishing/trophy). Joshua Neece caught a 13-pound 9-ounce hybrid striped bass in Flannagan Reservoir to set a new state record. Even the uninvited snakehead Additional Contacts found Virginia waters to its liking; a new 17-pound Report Violations only : 1-800-237-5712 6-ounce world record fish was caught in Aquia Creek, [email protected] a tributary to the Potomac River, by Caleb Newton. I somehow managed a little more fishing time than Trout Stocking: 434-525-3474 usual, spending quality moments with my children Snakehead Fish Reporting: 804-367-2925 and grandchildren. Potomac River Fisheries Commission: 800-266-3904 Fishing and boating often go hand in hand, and in Dept. of Environmental Quality: 800-592-5482 2013 we opened a new boating access site and renovated two others. Ten additional sites have been contracted Virginia Marine Resources Commission; Saltwater Fishing/Regulations: for 2014 as a result of our new “Grants to Localities” 757-247-2200; 757-247-2292 VTDD; www.mrc.virginia.gov program. State Parks: 800-933-7275 Much of our education and law enforcement work is Shenandoah National Park: 540-999-3500 paid for by anglers, boaters, and wildlife supporters. That money ensures that our efforts to maintain optimum George Washington/Jefferson National Forests: 540-265-5100 populations of inland fisheries, as well as raise and stock 1.2 million trout and 15 million warmwater fish into wa- ters across the state can continue. That money also pays for public access to these waters, as we continue to oper- ate and maintain 220 boat launching ramps statewide. We are grateful for your support. Hope to see you out there on the water! Virginia’s Sport Fish Program and You Bob Duncan Anglers like you make it possible for Virginia to enjoy ex- Executive Director ceptional fishing