Jackson River and Lake Moomaw: Wild Trout Tailwater

Rules: Virginia DWR (freshwater)

The Jackson River below Gathright Dam is a wild trout river that exists because of a decision made about water. Virginia’s Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) calls it “the premier wild trout tailwater in Virginia,” a cold, clear stretch of river below Lake Moomaw in Alleghany County where rainbows and browns reproduce on their own and smallmouth bass and rock bass share the water. Above the lake the river is mostly private, and the lake itself is a deep, two-story reservoir that holds trout, bass and big yellow perch. This guide covers the rules for each section, the access list, the land-access caution DWR gives and what flows mean for safety.

The tailwater below Gathright Dam

DWR says six public areas give access to 18 miles of legally navigable water between the dam and Covington. The wild fish are rainbow and brown trout, smallmouth bass, rock bass and redbreast sunfish. A 2015 DWR report puts the water immediately below the dam usually between 58 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and describes the recreational reach as running from the stilling basin to the water treatment plant intake in Covington. It also describes the trout fishery as dominated by rainbows under 12 inches, with brown trout making up most of the fish between 12 and 16 inches and browns over 18 inches becoming more common in recent years. A 21-inch brown taken on a streamer in fall is one of the fish DWR pictures on its page. The history of how the river got cold is in the cold-water tale.

DWR’s rule for the tailwater, from the dam to the Westvaco Dam at Covington, has a split slot. No rainbow trout 12 to 16 inches and no brown trout under 20 inches may be kept; they must be released immediately. The daily limit is four trout combined, and only one of the four may be a brown trout over 20 inches. Bait is allowed and there are no gear restrictions. The aim, according to DWR, is to let anglers keep the abundant small rainbows, which helps the rest grow into the slot, and to protect browns so more reach trophy size. The rules snapshot above quotes DWR.

Access points

DWR lists these access sites below the dam, from upstream to downstream: Gathright Dam, Johnson Springs, Smith Bridge, Indian Draft, Petticoat Junction, Water Plant, City Park, Island Ford, Low Moor, Dabney Lancaster and Lick Run, and each has a map on its page. DWR’s text counts six public areas on 18 miles while its map list names eleven sites, so treat the list as the working guide and check the map for each before you drive. A new accessible fishing pier on the river also has a DWR flyer. Below Covington the river is mostly smallmouth, redbreast and rock bass water, and DWR says launch facilities there are still being planned.

Private land: read this before you wade

Above the lake: Hidden Valley and the Bath County section

Large lake-run rainbows enter the Jackson above Lake Moomaw in winter and spring, and DWR points anglers to the Hidden Valley reach. A three-mile section in Bath County, from the Forest Service swinging bridge near the mouth of Muddy Run up to the last ford on Forest Service Road 481D, is stocked several times a year and always holds trout. It can be reached only on foot, from the Hidden Valley area or from Route 623 and Forest Service Road 481. The rule there is a 16-inch minimum and two trout a day, multiple-hook artificial lures are permitted, and a trout license is required from October 1 through June 15.

Lake Moomaw

Lake Moomaw covers 2,530 acres, reaches 152 feet deep and has 43 miles of undeveloped, wooded shoreline. DWR calls it a two-story fishery: warm-water fish near the surface and stocked rainbow, brown and brook trout in a cold, oxygenated layer about 15 feet down. Alewives are the forage base. DWR says brown trout of 3 to 5 pounds are not unusual and are most active in late winter and early spring in 15 to 20 feet of water. Smallmouth hold along rocky shorelines and cliffs, largemouth on the shallow flats near Greenwood Point, and DWR notes yellow perch grew to trophy size here and that a state record was set in 1999. Crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, channel catfish and chain pickerel round out the list.

On the lake, trout are two a day with a 16-inch minimum, bait is allowed, and neither a trout license nor a National Forest stamp is required. Bass are five a day, and bass under 12 inches must be released. The lake is drawn down 10 to 15 feet each year, starting in June.

Flows and safety

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers controls releases from Gathright Dam to protect downstream water quality, manage floods and provide recreation. The 2015 DWR report records scheduled pulse releases and flood-storage releases, and notes a 2014 episode in which about 89 trout died with no definite cause. We have no live gauge data on this page. Check the river level and any release notice before you wade, and stay out of the river when flows are rising.

Tackle that suits the river

Anglers on the tailwater commonly use a light to medium fly rod around 9 feet for nymphs and streamers, or a light spinning rod with small spinners and jigs. These are typical choices and not rules. A rod built for the line weight you fish and the water you wade will suit a river where a long drift and a delicate presentation matter.

License

You need a Virginia freshwater license. A trout license is required only in designated stocked trout waters from October 1 through June 15, which includes the Bath County section, but not on Lake Moomaw. The license guide has the details, and the trout roundup compares this river with Mossy Creek and the stocked waters.

Check before you go

DWR’s Verona office handles questions about the river at (540) 248-9360; ask for Fisheries. Compare the other mountain river in the New River guide.