New River Fishing: Smallmouth, Muskie and Walleye

Rules: Virginia DWR (freshwater)

The New River runs north through southwest Virginia, from the North Carolina line near Galax to West Virginia past Narrows, and Virginia’s Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) says it rivals the James and Rappahannock as one of the best fishing rivers in the state. It holds smallmouth, spotted and largemouth bass, muskie, walleye, catfish, crappie and more, and several state records have come from the river and Claytor Lake. This guide covers the rules by reach, what DWR says about each fish, the launch sites and the dams that make this a river where safety matters.

What the river holds

Smallmouth bass. DWR says smallmouth are by far the most abundant black bass in the river, with the top months for trophy fish March through May and again July through September. Crayfish imitations work year-round, nightcrawlers, soft plastics and topwater work in summer, and buzz baits around downed trees and water willow beds often draw strikes from big fish in summer. DWR’s float guide singles out the Whitethorne to Big Falls reach as one where several fish in the 2 to 4 pound class are not uncommon on hellgrammites, jigs or crayfish imitations. The state smallmouth record, 8 pounds 1 ounce, came from the river in 2003.

Muskie. DWR calls the muskie the largest game fish in the river and says the current state record, 45 pounds 8 ounces, was caught in the lower New River in June 2007. Good numbers sit near every boat landing and in the reaches between, and DWR recommends large crankbaits, jerkbaits and inline bucktail spinners, with live bait including trout effective in winter. The largest catches have come between Whitethorne and Eggleston.

Walleye. Since 2000 DWR has stocked more than one million native walleye from Fries Dam to Allisonia. Fishing is best in winter and peaks from February through May at the spawn, with the main spawning grounds at Foster Falls and the area below Buck Dam. The state walleye record, 15 pounds 15 ounces, came from the upper river in 2000.

Catfish and panfish. Flathead and channel catfish live in every section, with named hot spots below Claytor Dam, at Peppers Ferry, Whitethorne and Belspring, Narrows, Pearisburg and Eggleston, and from Foster Falls to Allisonia. Rock bass, redbreast sunfish and bluegill are the usual panfish. Many tributaries are on private land, so ask permission.

Rules by reach

From Fields Dam in Grayson County to the West Virginia line, plus the lower Little River, Big Walker Creek and Wolf Creek, DWR lists a bass rule of five a day with no bass 14 to 22 inches and only one longer than 22 inches. Claytor Lake is excluded and uses its own limits.

Below Claytor Dam to the state line, muskie are one a day with a seasonal rule: June 1 to the last day of February no muskie 40 to 48 inches, and March 1 to May 31 none under 48 inches. For muskie between Fields Dam and Claytor Dam, DWR’s river page says a 42-inch minimum while the printed 2026 digest shows only the statewide 40-inch minimum, so we are not stating that reach’s number. Walleye rules also vary by reach: statewide limits apply on much of the river, with a 2-a-day and 19-to-28-inch rule on Claytor Lake and the upper river. The rules snapshot above gives the details and flags where DWR’s pages disagree.

North Carolina fishing licenses are honored on the mainstem from the North and South forks’ confluence in North Carolina to the confluence with the Little River in Grayson County, Virginia.

Launch sites and floats

DWR’s float guide lists many launches. Some examples, upstream to downstream: Mouth of Wilson (Routes 93 and 58), Bridle Creek, the DWR landing at Riverside Park in Fries, Austinville (with a new ramp), Jackson Ferry and the New River Trail State Park ramps at Foster Falls Village, Allisonia, Claytor Dam, Peppers Ferry, the DWR landing at Whitethorne, Pembroke, Narrows and the Glen Lyn landing. Roughly half the access points are developed public areas. The rest are traditionally used sites for canoes and light boats, so respect property, gates and posted areas.

DWR advises planning on about an hour per mile when you fish.

Dams, portages and releases

Claytor Lake

Claytor Lake is a 4,363-acre hydroelectric lake on the New River in Pulaski County, built in 1939. DWR lists striped bass, hybrid striped bass, walleye, smallmouth, spotted and largemouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish and sunfish. Striped bass and hybrids are two a day with a 20-inch minimum from September 16 to June 30 and four a day with no length limit from July 1 to September 15. The lake has two main boat landings near the dam, one owned by DWR and one by the state park.

Tackle that suits the river

A 7 foot medium spinning rod with a fast tip and 8 to 12 pound line handles most smallmouth and walleye work with jigs and spinnerbaits, while muskie anglers use a heavy rod with a long handle and strong line for large lures. These are typical setups, not requirements. A custom rod built for the lure weight and the fish you target is a good match for a river with this mix.

Check before you go

DWR’s Marion regional office can answer questions. See the rules guide for licenses, and compare the other mountain water in the Jackson River guide. Smallmouth rules for every Virginia river are side by side in the smallmouth guide.