Scenic Strokes Fishing

The New River is recognized by sportsmen and anglers as both a premiere fishing destination and model of conservation, slot limit, and catch and release efforts.

While many fisheries are suffering the effects of over fishing and pollution, mile for mile the New River produces more citation size (21 inches or more) smallmouth bass than any river in the state of Virginia. The New holds three state records for Smallmouth Bass (8 lbs. 1oz.) Walleye (15lbs. 15 oz.) and Muskie (45 lbs.)

"Of the watersheds in Virginia, our river is the cleanest... Miles of pristine habitat, the flyways for the birds, areas where in the evening you can put in a canoe and the frogs are so loud you can hardly talk to the person next to you... On the New you can still jump in and swim in it. You can't do that in the Potomac." Charlotte Burnett New River watershed manager for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

While there are significant numbers of red eyes (rock bass), catfish, carp, walleye, and muskie, the main game fish is the smallmouth bass. Experienced anglers can catch 50-75 fish a day. This kind of existing fish stocks coupled with four great spawning years in a row should make 2007 a fantastic season for fishing.