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Fishing

Fairfax County, Virginia

CONTACT INFORMATION:

703-569-3464
TTY 711

dan.grulke@fairfaxcounty.gov


Dan Grulke,
FCPA Fishing Coordinator

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Fishing

 

Thank you for taking the time to visit the Park Authority’s Fishing Home Page!

We hope you will explore the content and find all you need to know about fishing in Fairfax County.  

Click the links below to read fishing articles written by experienced anglers in the area and learn all the tips and secrets to maximize your fishing success. Be on the lookout every month for new fishing articles and tips that will help you become the angler you have always wanted to be!

Here you will find information on all the lakes and ponds in which to fish in Fairfax County, where to pick your spot, and how to submit your catch to our photo gallery!

Need help identifying a fish? Head on over to our fish identification and find out exactly what you caught, and then share your catch on our bragging board for everyone to enjoy.

If you have any questions, please contact the Park Authority Fishing Coordinator Dan Grulke. Please allow three days for us to respond.

Fishing Articles

The Fishing Season is Finally Back
The Fishing Season is Finally Back
Dust off your tackle box and take the tags off that brand-new fishing pole you got during the holidays because warmer weather is on the horizon and with it comes the early spring fishing season!
Trout Fishing in Virginia
Trout is the common name for fish belonging to the genera Oncorhynchus, Salmo, Salvelinus, as well as the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The most popular species that you can find in Virginia are the rainbow trout, brown trout or the brook trout.
How to Shop for Fishing Tackle (Part 2)
How do I know what type of fishing equipment to purchase? Do I need an expensive fishing rod? What is the best fishing reel to get? The purpose of this article will be to answer some of these questions to simplify things for your fishing needs.
Preparing for Fishing Season 2021
This article will highlight other aspects of fishing that will help you improve your fishing success in the upcoming 2021 season.
How to Shop for Fishing Tackle (Part 1)
How do I know what type of fishing equipment to purchase? Do I need an expensive fishing rod? What is the best fishing reel to get? The purpose of this article will be to answer some of these questions to simplify things for your fishing needs.
View All Articles

Burke Lake Electro-Fishing Survey

Search Fishing Activities

2021 Burke Lake Park Fishing Class

2021 Burke Lake Park Fishing Class

Bragging Board

Browse through the different slideshow photos below. 

16 inch largemouth bass at Royal Lake in Burke, Va. | Mark Blicharz

Please submit your fish pictures, whether big or small, by Thursday evening for consideration to be included on our bragging board.

Tips

Fishing tips

Fishing Reports

Fishing Reports

Riverbend Park

Riverbend's clear Potomac River waters are for smallmouth. There are sunfish and catfish, too. It's a great place for children. You can fish from shore, but better catches come from boats. There's a launch ramp for small craft and weekend rentals of rods and jon boats. Fishing supplies, instruction, classes, birthday parties and a summer camp are available. A Maryland or Virginia fishing license is valid, but the park does not sell them.

More About Fishing at Riverbend

Burke Lake Park

Burke Lake is a 218-acre, state-owned public fishing lake. Fairfax County owns the surrounding land. A 24-hour state launch ramp exclusively for anglers is near the dam. A marina, ramp and pier are mid-lake. Gas motors are prohibited. Smaller docks sit between the state ramp and dam. This may be the region's best muskie water. State surveys show it has the top largemouth bass population among Northern Virginia impoundments. Because it is heavily fished, bass tend towards deeper waters. The lake has channel cat, bluegill, white and yellow perch, redear sunfish, walleye, blue catfish and a healthy gizzard shad base.

More About Fishing at Burke Lake

Lake Fairfax

Lake Fairfax is fishable year-round. A Virginia fishing license is required. The lake is accessible for shoreline fishermen. The lake has bass, catfish, bluegill, sunfish, crappie and bullhead. More info on the Lake Fairfax Fishing web page.

More About Fishing at Lake Fairfax

Lake Accotink

Lake Accotink was drained in 2011. It was not restocked, but some fish have been transferred into it from other Park Authority lakes. It is generally a poor fishing water. Because of siltation, it is a shallow lake of three feet or less in most areas. Limited fishing generally centers on bluegill and catfish.

More About Lake Accotink

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.

More About Ellanor C. Lawrence Park

Hidden Pond Nature Center

Although there is fishing at Hidden Pond, the success rate is poor and the pond's bank is easily damaged by people walking near the shoreline. Fishing at the pond is mostly conducted through park programs.

More About Hidden Pond Nature Center
Fishing

Other Web Resources

Virginia Fishing Regulations

Virginia Lakes

Boating, Fishing and Camping Classes

ECLP/Walney Pond

Parks with Small Lakes

 

Contributors

  • Anna Hellwege-Bales - Lake Accotink Park
  • Chase Brown - Lake Accotink Park
  • Tony Bulmer - Burke Lake Park
  • Jordan Libera - Riverbend Park
  • Daston Sarmadi - Lake Fairfax Park
  • Public Information Office Staff
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