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TextFishing in the Parks
Come wet a line!
Spring Trout Fishing
Season
February 15, Friday through May 11, Saturday at Lake Fairfax Park
During a competitive tournament a few years ago with tens of thousands
of dollars on the line, professional bass fisherman Denny Brauer saw a
young couple quietly angling with worms while sitting together on a
dock. He reflected, "It doesn't get any better than
that."
Fishing can be intense and competitive or calming and contemplative.
You can capture fishing moments in Fairfax County, because fishing is legal in Park Authority waters unless posted signs say otherwise. A valid Virginia fishing license is required for people 16 years and older, and Virginia fishing regulations apply.
Come try you luck in these Fairfax County parks:
Riverbend Park
Like chasing smallmouth bass? Riverbend Park is the place to go. The
park is on a bend in the Potomac River, the water flows clear, boulders
create hiding zones, and the water temperature stays in the
smallmouth's comfort zone. There are sunfish, catfish and other
species. You can catch fish from shore, and it's a great place for
children to fish. The better catches come from boats.
There's a launch ramp for small craft, you can rent a fishing rod or a jon boat on weekends, and there are fishing supplies available. Riverbend offers fishing instruction and fishing classes, a summer fishing camp for 9-to-15 year olds, and birthday fishing parties. You also can arrange for a guide. Either a Maryland or Virginia freshwater fishing license is valid, but the park does not sell them.
Burke Lake
Burke Lake is a 218-acre, state-owned public fishing lake. Fairfax
County owns the parkland around the lake. There's a 24-hour state
launch ramp exclusively for anglers near the dam. The Park Authority
maintains a ramp and accessible courtesy pier that's usable during park
hours at the midlake marina. Use of gas motors is prohibited. There's a
large, accessible fishing dock near the marina and smaller accessible
abutments between the state ramp and the dam.
Burke Lake may be the best muskie water in northern Virginia when fish are shallow in late winter and early spring. State surveys show it has the top largemouth bass population out of 19 popular northern Virginia impoundments. Burke has a healthy gizzard shad base and is heavily fished. Because of that, the bass are tough to catch and tend towards deeper waters rather than shoreline shallows. The lake also has channel catfish, bluegill, white perch, yellow perch, redear sunfish and an occasional walleye and blue catfish.
Lake Accotink
(55 acres) in Springfield
Lake Accotink was drained in 2011. It has not been restocked. Because
of siltation, it is a shallow lake of six feet or less. There is some
trout fishing as part of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland
Fisheries' Delayed Harvest Program in partnership with Trout Unlimited.
That occurs in the main stem above the lake upstream of Braddock Road.
Lake Fairfax (18 acres)
in Reston
Although fishable year-round, spring is the premier time for fishing at Lake
Fairfax. Thousands of pounds of safe-to-eat rainbow trout are
stocked in the lake then. Bi-weekly stockings run from February into
April. A Virginia fishing license is required along with either a
one-day or a seasonal trout fishing pass available at the site. There
are one-pole and six-fish limits. The lake is very accessible for
shoreline fishermen.
Ellanor C. Lawrence
Park
Walney Pond has sunfish, bass and catfish. Access is easy. The
one-acre pond is probably a better place to take children rather than a
destination for advanced anglers or those looking for a fresh dinner.
Hidden Pond Nature
Center
Although there is fishing at Hidden Pond, the success rate is poor.
The docks, however, make it a handy place to teach children about
fishing. It's a catch-and-release site.
Braddock, Huntsman, Mercer, Royal and Woodglen
Lakes:
Built for flood control in the Pohick Creek watershed between 1970 and
1985, these lakes range in size from 18 to 43 acres. Generally, they
hold a standard mix of bass, sunfish, crappie and catfish and are
average fisheries. They occasionally produce large catfish and
good-sized largemouth bass, and they can be good places to dangle worms
for small bluegill. Housing backs up to them in several places, so be
sure to stay on public land. Lake Braddock is surrounded by housing,
and there is no public access to its waters.
Hiking paths almost completely encircle the other lakes, and each is easily reachable, although it's a short hike uphill from the parking lot in to Mercer. Shoreline access is limited in summer by flora. Small craft, like canoes, are legal, but gas motors are not.
Are they safe to eat?
PCBs are a health concern in some county waters. There are
restrictions on eating eel, catfish, carp, bass, bullhead, perch and
sunfish in the Potomac River basin. Conditions and health advisories
can change.
The Virginia Department of Health issues fish consumption advisories. Visit that agency's website with advisories for Fairfax County waters.
Register through Parktakes Online
for these exciting, fun-filled programs.
Websites
- Virginia Fishing Regulations
- Burke Lake Park/FCPA
- Burke Lake marina rules
- Burke Lake/Virginia
- ECLP/Walney Pond
- Riverbend Park
- Lake Accotink
- Lake Fairfax
- Trout fishing
- Boating, fishing and camping classes
- Line recycling
TIPS FOR BEGINNERS
Generally in winter and summer, fish are in deeper water. In spring
and fall they might be in shallower parts of a lake. In lakes, deeper
water is usually at the dam end and shallower water is uplake. On a big
lake, pick one creek or cove and think of it as a small lake, deeper at
one end. Pick a spot to start based on where fish should be at that
time of year.
Next, look for something different. Imagine you're walking on a street
that has only one building, and inside is a restaurant. Where would you
find people? In that restaurant, because it has food and shelter.
Fishing is like that. In your cove, look around. What's different? Look for a stump, a fallen tree, a beaver dam, grass, a point of land, a dock piling, or an edge where grass gives way to rocks. What if there are lots of fallen trees? Well, which one is biggest? Which one is closest to the creek channels that fish use as highways? Think about what the fish see, and keep asking what stands out as different. That's where the fish are often found.
Water depth is critical to catching fish. If you catch one, throw your lure or bait back to that same depth. A bobber can help. Start with your bait a couple feet deep. If you get no bites, set your bait a foot or two deeper. Keep changing depth until you start catching fish, and then keep your bait at that depth.
Recycle Monofilament Fishing Line
The Fairfax County Park Authority partners with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to recycle monofilament fishing line. Please use the line recycling bins at county parks. Monofilament line left outdoors can be deadly to wildlife.
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