4VAC15-320 Fish: Fishing Generally

REGULATIONS

Vol. 27 Iss. 10 - January 17, 2011

TITLE 4. CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES

BOARD OF GAME AND INLAND FISHERIES

Chapter 320

Final Regulation

Title of Regulation: 4VAC15-320. Fish: Fishing Generally (amending 4VAC15-320-25, 4VAC15-320-90; repealing 4VAC15-320-130).

Statutory Authority: §§ 29.1-103, 29.1-501, and 29.1-502 of the Code of Virginia.

Effective Date: January 1, 2011.

Agency Contact: Phil Smith, Regulatory Coordinator, Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, 4016 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23230, telephone [phone] or email [e-mail].

Summary:

The amendments (i) adjust freshwater fishing creel and length limits; (ii) add the James River to the list of waters where a National Forest Permit is not required to fish from national forest lands; and (iii) eliminate the "only bait with a single point hook (no artificial lures allowed)" requirement for the Witcher Creek (Cedar Key cove) area on Smith Mountain Lake.

4VAC15-320-25. Creel and length limits.

The creel limits (including live possession) and the length limits for the various species of fish shall be as follows, unless otherwise excepted by posted rules at department-owned or department-controlled waters (see 4VAC15-320-100 D).

Type of fish	Subtype or location	Creel and length limits	Geographic exceptions	Creel or length limits for exceptions
largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass		5 per day in the aggregate; No statewide length limits	Lakes
			Briery Creek Lake	No bass 14 to 24 inches, only 1 per day longer than 24 inches
			Buggs Island (Kerr)	Only 2 of 5 bass less than 14 inches
			Claytor Lake	No bass less than 12 inches
			Flannagan Reservoir	No bass less than 12 inches
			Lake Gaston	Only 2 of 5 bass less than 14 inches
			Leesville Reservoir	Only 2 of 5 bass less than 14 inches
			Lake Moomaw	No bass less than 12 inches
			Philpott Reservoir	No bass less than 12 inches
			Quantico Marine Base waters	No bass 12 to 15 inches
			Smith Mt. Lake and its tributaries below Niagara Dam	Only 2 of 5 bass less than 14 inches
			Rivers
			Clinch River – within the boundaries of Scott, Wise, Russell, or Tazewell counties	No bass 11 to 14 inches
			Dan River and tributaries down stream from the Brantley Steam Plant, Danville	Only 2 of 5 bass less than 14 inches
			James River – Confluence of the Jackson and Cowpasture rivers (Botetourt County) downstream to the 14th Street Bridge in Richmond	No bass 14 to 22 inches, only 1 per day longer than 22 inches
			New River – Fields Dam (Grayson County) downstream to the VA – WV state line and its tributary Little River downstream from Little River Dam in Montgomery County (This does not include Claytor Lake which is delineated as: The upper end of the island at Allisonia downstream to the dam)	No bass 14 to 20 inches, only 1 per day longer than 20 inches
			North Fork Holston River - Rt. 91 bridge upstream of Saltville, VA downstream to the VA-TN state line	No bass less than 20 inches, only 1 per day longer than 20 inches
			North Fork Shenandoah River – Rt. 42 bridge, Rockingham Co. downstream to the confluence with S. Fork Shenandoah at Front Royal	No bass 11 to 14 inches
			Potomac River - Virginia tidal tributaries above Rt. 301 bridge	No bass less than 15 inches from March 1 through June 15
			Roanoke (Staunton) River - and its tributaries below Difficult Creek, Charlotte Co.	Only 2 of 5 bass less than 14 inches
			Shenandoah River –
			Confluence of South Fork and North Fork rivers, Front Royal, downstream, to the Warren Dam, near Front Royal	No bass 11 to 14 inches
			Base of Warren Dam, near Front Royal downstream to Rt. 17/50 bridge	No bass 14 to 20 inches, only 1 per day longer than 20 inches
			Rt. 17/50 bridge downstream to VA - WV state line	No bass 11 to 14 inches
			South Fork Shenandoah River -
			Confluence of North and South rivers, below Port Republic, downstream to Shenandoah Dam, near Town of Shenandoah	No bass 11 to 14 inches
			Base of Shenandoah Dam, near Town of Shenandoah, downstream to Luray Dam, near Luray	No bass 14 to 20 inches, only 1 per day longer than 20 inches
			Base of Luray Dam, near Luray, downstream to the confluence with North Fork of Shenandoah, Front Royal	No bass 11 to 14 inches
			Staunton River -
			Leesville Dam (Campbell County) downstream to the U.S. Route 360 Bridge (Halifax/Charlotte County Line) near Clover, VA	No bass less than 20 inches, only 1 per day longer than 20 inches
striped bass	landlocked striped bass and landlocked striped bass x white bass hybrids	4 per day in the aggregate; No fish less than 20 inches	Buggs Island (Kerr) reservoir including the Staunton River to Leesville Dam and the Dan River to Brantly Steam Plant (Danville)	October 1 - May 31: 2 per day in the aggregate; No striped bass or hybrid striped bass less than 26 inches; June 1 - September 30: 4 per day in the aggregate; No length limit
			Smith Mountain Lake and its tributaries, including the Roanoke River upstream to Niagara Dam	2 per day in the aggregate; October November 1 - May 31: No striped bass 26 to 36 inches; June 1 - September 30 October 31: No length limit
			Lake Gaston	4 per day in the aggregate October 1 - May 31: No striped bass or hybrid striped bass less than 20 inches June 1 - September 30: No length limit
	anadromous (coastal) striped bass above the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay	Creel and length limits shall be set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for recreational fishing in tidal waters
	anadromous (coastal) in the Meherrin, Nottoway, Blackwater (Chowan Drainage), North Landing and Northwest Rivers and their tributaries plus Back Bay	2 per day; No striped bass less than 18 inches
white bass		5 per day; No statewide length limits
walleye		5 per day; No statewide length limits No walleye less than 18 inches	Flannagan, Philpott, and South Holston reservoirs, and the Middle Fork Holston and South Fork Holston rivers	No walleye less than 18 inches
			Claytor Lake and New River upstream of Claytor Lake Dam New River upstream of Buck Dam in Carroll County	No walleye less than 20 inches
			Claytor Lake and the New River upstream of Claytor Lake Dam to Buck Dam in Carroll County	February 1 - May 31: 2 walleye per day; no walleye 19 to 28 inches; June 1 - January 31: 5 walleye per day; no walleye less than 20 inches
sauger		2 per day; No statewide length limits
chain pickerel		5 per day; No statewide length limits	Gaston and Buggs Island (Kerr) reservoirs	No daily limit
northern pike		2 per day; No pike less than 20 inches
muskellunge		2 per day; No muskellunge less than 30 inches	New River - Fields Dam (Grayson County) downstream to the VA - WV state line, including Claytor Lake	1 per day No muskellunge less than 42 inches
bluegill (bream) and other sunfish excluding crappie, rock bass (redeye) and Roanoke bass		50 per day in the aggregate; No statewide length limits	Gaston and Buggs Island (Kerr) reservoirs and that portion of the New River from the VA - NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little Rivers in Grayson County	No daily limit
crappie (black or white)		25 per day in the aggregate; No statewide length limits	Gaston and Buggs Island (Kerr) reservoirs and that portion of the New River from the VA - NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little Rivers in Grayson County	No daily limit
			Flannagan and South Holston reservoirs	No crappie less than 10 inches
rock bass (redeye)		25 per day; No statewide length limits	Gaston and Buggs Island (Kerr) reservoirs and that portion of the New River from the VA - NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little Rivers in Grayson County.	No daily limit
			Nottoway and Meherrin rivers and their tributaries	5 per day in the aggregate with Roanoke bass; No rock bass less than 8 inches
Roanoke bass		No statewide daily limit; No statewide length limits	Nottoway and Meherrin rivers and their tributaries	5 per day in the aggregate with rock bass; No Roanoke bass less than 8 inches
trout	See 4VAC15-330. Fish: Trout Fishing.
catfish	channel, white, and flathead catfish	20 per day; No length limits	All rivers below the fall line	No daily limit
	blue catfish	20 per day, only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches	All rivers below the fall line	No daily limit, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches
	yellow, brown, and black bullheads	No daily limit; No length limits
American shad and hickory shad	James River above the fall line (14th Street Bridge), the Meherrin River above Emporia Dam, the Chickahominy River above Walkers Dam, the Appomattox River above Harvell Dam, the Pamunkey River and the Mattaponi River above the Rt. 360 bridge, and the Rappahannock River above the Rt. 1 bridge, and Virginia waters of Lake Gaston and Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoir and tributaries to include the Dan and Staunton rivers	No possession (catch and release only)
	(below the fall line) in tidal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay	Creel and length limits shall be those set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission
	Meherrin River below Emporia Dam Nottoway River, Blackwater River (Chowan Drainage), North Landing and Northwest rivers, and their tributaries plus Back Bay	10 per day in the aggregate No length limits
anadromous (coastal) alewife and blueback herring	Above and below the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay	Creel and length limits shall be those set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission
	Meherrin River, Nottoway River, Blackwater River (Chowan Drainage), North Landing and Northwest rivers, and their tributaries plus Back Bay	No possession
other native or naturalized nongame fish	See 4VAC15-360-10. Fish: Aquatic Invertebrates, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Nongame Fish. Taking aquatic invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles and nongame fish for private use.
endangered or threatened fish	See 4VAC15-20-130. Definitions and Miscellaneous: In General. Endangered and threatened species; adoption of federal list; additional species enumerated.
nonnative (exotic) fish	See 4VAC15-30-40. Definitions and Miscellaneous: Importation, Possession, Sale, Etc., of Animals. Importation requirements, possession and sale of nonnative (exotic) animals.

4VAC15-320-90. Exception to requirement of national forest permit.

A national forest permit, as provided for in § 29.1-408 of the Code of Virginia shall not be required to fish from national forest lands in the North and South forks of the Shenandoah River, in the James River, in Skidmore Lake in Rockingham County, in Lake Moomaw (Gathright Project), in the Jackson River below Gathright Dam, in North Fork Pound Reservoir, and in Wilson Creek downstream of Douthat Lake in Alleghany and Bath Counties.

4VAC15-320-130. Special provision applicable to a portion of Witcher Creek (Cedar Key) within Smith Mountain Lake. (Repealed.)

It shall be lawful to fish using only bait with a single point unweighted bait hook (no artificial lures allowed) in that portion of Witcher Creek in Smith Mountain Lake from behind the no wake buoy line at the mouth of the cove known as Cedar Key to the back of the cove from April 15 to May 31, both dates inclusive. For the purpose of this chapter, a single point unweighted bait hook is defined as a hook that does not have a weight affixed to the hook. Any other weight must be attached to the line at least 12 inches above the hook (no weights below the hook).

VA.R. Doc. No. R11-2592; Filed December 30, 2010, 10:57 a.m.