Shenandoah River Fishing Report

6/16/2023
Water Temp: 78 degrees
Water Clarity: Clear

Article by Gerald Almy

The tiny spinnerbait hit the water with a delicate “plop” a scant foot from the shoreline as we floated silently down the Shenandoah River. The current swirled backwards in an eddy there, making it a prime hangout for the fish this river is famous for—the smallmouth bass. The instant I engaged the spinning reel handle, a sharp strike telegraphed up the thin graphite rod. Setting the hook with a solid sweeping motion, I felt steady resistance from a stubborn quarry on the end of the line… surely a tail-walking smallmouth.

But something was different. This fish felt strong, but somehow not as powerful and full of the leaps and runs I had come to expect from a pugnacious smallmouth bass. Welcome for sure, as any gamefish would be on a hot sunny day on a river. Just not what I was expecting.

As I worked the fish in, I realized why the fish felt different. A plump rock bass had nabbed the small spinnerbait I was using. Reaching down, I twisted the hook free and released the plump, brass-colored panfish back into the glass-clear water, none the worse for wear.

No, the humble rock bass won’t win many popularity contests among anglers. These fish are not sleek and powerful like a landlocked striper. They don’t jump like a belligerent largemouth bass or streak wildly through the currents like a silver-sided rainbow trout. And their fight definitely won’t match the antics of a sassy smallmouth.

But despite their lack of spectacular credentials as a gamefish, these stocky little panfish are strangely appealing. Maybe their dependability is what makes them so attractive as a quarry. Rock bass can almost always be counted on as a fill-in for those days when other gamefish develop a case of lockjaw. They have saved the day on many a smallmouth outing for me on waters such as the James, Potomac, and Rappahannock, not to mention my home water—the Shenandoah River.

But rather than just relegating rock bass to the role of fill-in or “day-saver” when other species are not cooperating, consider this proposition. Try focusing occasionally on this quarry for its own legitimate value as a gamefish. After all, the rock bass is a stubborn, if not spectacular, fighter when an angler uses light tackle.

Often called “goggle eye” or “red eye,” the species is also a handsome fish. Well… in a rugged sort of way! The fish’s Latin name, Ambloplites rupestris, gives a clue to the habitat the rock bass prefers. Rupetris means “of the rocks.” Stone and rubble-covered rivers as well as some rocky lakes are prime rock bass fishing grounds.

Rock bass don’t grow large. A five- to seven-inch fish is typical. Studies have shown it takes six years for a rock bass to reach eight inches. As for weight, a 12-ounce fish is absolutely a trophy. The world record rock bass was a tie between one fish caught in the York River in Ontario, and one taken in Lake Erie, Pennsylvania. Those fish weighed just 3 pounds. The Virginia state record is a 2 lb. 2oz. fish caught in 1986 by Larry Ball in Laurel Bed Lake.

Rock bass can be caught with just about any angling method imaginable. I’ve even caught them when downrigging for stripers with large diving plugs that were almost as big as the rock bass were. That’s certainly not the ideal way to take this diminutive fish, though. Ultralight spin tackle with four- to six-pound line and light fly rods in the four- to six-weight class are much better gear for this quarry. In rivers, rock bass favor deep pools, eddies near shore, pockets behind boulders, ledges, and shaded shoreline spots where they often hover within inches of the bank. Besides stones, rock bass also hang around logs, deadfalls, and underwater stumps.

Lure
Top artificials for spin fishing include grubs with plastic twister tails, jigs, in-line spinners, soft-plastic jerkbaits, banana-shaped wobblers, thin-minnow plugs, and small spinnerbaits like the Beetlespin. Four-pound test line is perfect, but opt for six-pound if you might latch onto some black bass as well as the targeted quarry.
Three things are vital for success with rock bass. The first is that your lure falls close to the shoreline on days when fish are holding near the banks. The second important point is to retrieve slowly. Rock bass don’t like to chase down a fast-moving bait. The third rule for rock bass fishing is to keep the offering near the bottom when fish are holed up in deep water. Let your lure nick the lake or river floor occasionally for the most action.

Live Bait
Natural bait works extremely well on rock bass. Hellgrammites, earthworms, and two-inch long minnows are all excellent. Use them with a small bobber and split shot or two for weight. This is a great way to introduce a youngster to fishing. And chances are you’ll pick up some largemouths and smallmouths this way as well.

Fly Fishing
Using flies is another great way to catch rock bass. If fish are hovering near shore they’ll nab a small sponge rubber spider, deer hair bug, or cork popper cast close to the bank. Allow it to rest, then twitch the fly gently. Strikes will be soft and delicate, a lot like a bluegill nails a fly.

Use an eight- to nine-foot rod, four- to six-weight forward floating line and four- to six-pound tippet. If fish aren’t cooperating on top, go with small sub-surface offerings such as the Hare’s Ear, Montana Stone, or Yuk Bug. Small streamers such as the Zonker, Matuka, Muddler, or Clouser Minnow in sizes 2-8 will also fool rock bass. Keep the rod tip low to the water and fish those minnow-imitating flies with short, sharp strips of line.

Don’t be surprised if a few smallmouths nab these offerings as well. Be ready, or they might just jerk the rod out of your hand!

It would be hard to think of a more fun-packed way to spend a warm, sunny afternoon than floating or wet-wading a shaded stream casting to willing rock bass mixed in with bonus smallmouths. And if your son or granddaughter are free or a neighborhood kid wants to come along, take them, too. This is a great fish to focus on when introducing youngsters to the sport of angling!

6/3/2023
Water Temp: 76 degrees
Water Clarity: Gin Clear

Fishing has finally gotten super hot! Big fish are being caught by most anglers.  Great numbers and big fish make a great day on the water.  The water is low but that makes fishing even better.

3/31/2023
Water Temperature: 52 degrees
Water Clarity: Gin Clear

Fishing started very strong this season as the water warmed up, then dropped off when the cold weather rolled back in. As the river temperature has started to warm again, the fish have started to get into a more normal spring pattern. Watch the river temperature as it rises and make plans to get out here as we approach 68 degrees, which should trigger a spring heavy feeding pattern. See you on the river!

3/31/2023
The South Fork Shenandoah River is known by anglers as a “numbers” fishery, meaning anglers can expect to catch a reasonable amount of bass and sunfish on any given day. During our 2022 fall sampling we collected 967 Smallmouth Bass from nine sample sites. Approximately 24% were 11” or greater, 7% topped 14” and 1% measured 17” and up. The population showed a subtle increase in quality fish compared to the 2021 sample. Overall, our sample yielded high numbers of smaller fish, with a majority falling short of the 11” mark. This is pretty typical for the South Fork, fantastic catch rates with low numbers of quality sized fish. Anglers can expect to catch high numbers of 7-10” fish. Currently there are several strong year classes recruiting into the smallmouth fishery (2014, 2015, and 2019). The number of young of the year captured in 2022 was slightly below the long-term average. Regardless the success from earlier spawning events should result in above average catch rates of quality sized bass within the system. The South Fork has had its fair share of struggles over the years with fish health problems, but by in large the fishing on the Shenandoah should be excellent in the coming years. Largemouth Bass also present quality opportunities for anglers, as this river harbors a quality population. Finding 2 to 4 pound fish should not be difficult in deeper, slower sections when woody debris are targeted. Overall, 79.5% of our sample contained quality sized fish (>12”) with a majority falling into the 11-19” size range. The Shenandoah River is a sleeper largemouth fishery for quality bass. Although there has been a reduction in overall numbers of largemouth, anglers should see an increase in the number of 15-20” bass in the coming years. There is also the opportunity to catch Musky in the longer and deeper pools. VDWR periodically stocks fingerling-size musky on the South Fork Shenandoah River at 15 sites stretching from Port Republic to Front Royal. It was last stocked in the fall of 2022 with 173 advanced fingerling musky (approximately 8”). There has been limited evidence of muskies reproducing naturally in the South Fork, therefore they must be stocked to sustain a fishery. Musky are stocked to add diversity to the fishery and provide a challenging trophy fish for anglers to target. Adult musky densities are not as high as some of the other rivers in the state due to the lack of consistent pool habitats. However, when you come across a pool on the South Fork, anglers have a good opportunity to come in contact with one.

9/11/2022

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9/8/2022

Another great article from the Department of Wildlife Resources! Check it out below:

https://dwr.virginia.gov/blog/fishing-terrestrials-for-summer-smallmouth/?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nftf&utm_content=nftf_fishing_september2022

6/30/22

Check out this smallmouth bass fishing report from DWR

https://dwr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/smallmouth-bass-rivers-report.pdf

Date: 3/30/2022
Water: Clear & 45 Degrees
Expected to warm significantly in the next couple weeks

The South Fork Shenandoah River is known by anglers as a “numbers” fishery, meaning anglers can expect to catch a reasonable amount of bass and sunfish on any given day. During our 2021 fall sampling we collected 1,192 Smallmouth Bass from nine sampling sites. About 19% were 11” or greater with only 6% topping 14”. We found low numbers of memorable fish with only 1% measuring 17” plus. Overall our sample yielded high numbers of smaller fish, with a majority falling short of the 11” mark. This is pretty typical for the South Fork, fantastic catch rates with low numbers of quality sized fish. Anglers can expect to catch high numbers of 7-10” fish. Currently there are several strong year classes recruiting into the smallmouth fishery (2014, 2015, and 2019). Typically this results in above average catch rates of quality sized bass within the system. We saw a slight dip in the number of quality fish present after the high water year of 2018, however anglers can expect above average catch rates of fish over 11” during the upcoming season. The South Fork has had its fair share of struggles over the years with fish health problems, but by in large the fishing on the Shenandoah should be excellent in the coming years. Largemouth Bass also present quality opportunities for anglers, as this river harbors a quality population. Finding 2 to 4 pound fish should not be difficult in deeper, slower sections when woody debris are targeted. Overall, 69% of our sample contained quality sized fish (>12”) with a majority falling into the 12-17” size range. The Shenandoah River is a sleeper largemouth fishery for quality bass. Our heaviest fish weighed in at 6.4lbs. Although there has A quality Smallmouth Bass collected during 2021 Electrofishing surveys on the South Fork Shenandoah River been a reduction in overall numbers of largemouth, anglers can expect an increase in the number of 15-20” bass in the coming years. There is also the opportunity to catch Musky in the longer and deeper pools. VDWR periodically stocks fingerling-size musky on the South Fork Shenandoah River at 15 sites stretching from Port Republic to Front Royal. It was last stocked in the fall of 2021 with 453 advanced fingerling musky (approximately 8”). There has been limited evidence of muskies reproducing naturally in the South Fork, therefore they must be stocked to sustain a fishery. Musky are stocked to increase diversity to the fishery and provide a challenging trophy fish for anglers to target. Adult musky densities are not as high as some of the other rivers in the state due to the lack of consistent pool habitats. However, when you come across a pool on the South Fork, anglers have a good opportunity to come in contact with one. Our biologists and technicians typically sample the river for musky in January or February. They sample 4 sites using three electrofishing boats. During the last sampling event in early 2021 they collected a total of 36 fish with a majority falling in the 36 – 44” range, which is typical for the South Fork. Anglers should be pleased with the current population level. Overall numbers were similar to previous samples and the number of quality fish are above average, with many musky measuring 40” or greater. Anglers will notice that there are younger year classes missing from the population as a result of poor spawns caused by higher than normal flows and skipped stockings. In the next few years, we may see a dip in overall numbers as some fish age out of the population. However, we should see a good number of young fish in the coming years. The river received repetitive stockings in 2018, 2020, and 2021. This is a good sign for the future. Musky grow fast in Virginia, with females reaching citation size (40”) in 5-6 years. To learn how to fish for musky, please visit: dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/fish/muskellunge/ Channel Catfish in the 2 to 6 pound range are common, and anglers should concentrate on the lower South Fork. Don’t be surprised if you catch quality-sized Redbreast Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Bluegill, Green Sunfish, Fallfish, or Black Crappie.

Courtesy of the Department of Wildlife Resources