What is the BEST lake in Northern Virginia for BIG bass

[shimmy]

I've been gone from Virginia a long time and would love to hear some expertise concerning which lakes in northern Virginia have the biggest bass. Please rank your top three, include pictures if you can.

[Wayne P.]

Define "BIG". How far South do you consider Northern Va. ?

[shimmy]

I'd say anything north of Charlottesville. One interesting thing to note, i was amazed to see that someone pulled a 10 pounder out of the potomac within the last year. Its good to see this river produce something of that size

[Dan:]

The Potomac is the best fishery in NOVA.

[Wayne P.]

Lake Anna has large bass, but most find them difficult to find.

Near Fredericksburg there is Hunting Run Lake (new lake with a good population of large bass (6#+) and very, very many small bass) and Motts Run. Both are closed from Fall thru late winter. The last day for Hunting Run this year is this coming Monday, Motts might close the same day.

Your best shot at a double digit bass is a little more South near Farmville.

[shimmy]

Has a ten pounder been pulled out of beaverdam creek reservoir or Burke lake? Occoquan?

[Dan:]

Has a ten pounder been pulled out of beaverdam creek reservoir or Burke lake? Occoquan?

That's pretty hard to know for sure but I'd imagine all of those fisheries are capable of producing a 10lb fish. They can all be very difficult to figure out as well and with the exception of BDC they all get lots of pressure.

I'll say this: if I had a boat, I wouldn't fish anywhere in the area besides the Potomac.

[Thai]

yep the potomac is deff the best producing and easiest body of water to fish in nova

[soccplayer07]

Potomac! nothing else even comes close.

[lightsout]

 Potomac all the way! You can pretty much set your watch to the topwater bite if the conditions are right.

  Anna is a fun lake to fish, as you can often turn around from beating the docks for largemouths and catch striper out in the open in the same cove. I've personally only fished it 5 times or so, but fish in the 4lb+ range were not hard to comeby.

 Alot of people over look swift creek resivoir but more citations come out of there than any other fishery in the state.

My best advice is to go on the Game and inland fisheries website, lookup "citations" and where they were caught, and zero things in from there.

There is a certain lake in the farmville area with alot of timber thats full of bigguns  

[StuntDouble]

+1

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/forecasts-and-reports/northern-virginia-largemouth-bass-lakes/

[SimonSays]

 Alot of people over look swift creek resivoir but more citations come out of there than any other fishery in the state.

Just curious, but where did ya get that fact from?

[RoLo]

Potomac! nothing else even comes close.

The state of Virginia rates the tidal stretch of the Potomac River as world-class for largemouth bass,

and B.A.S.S. rated the Potomac as the best river in America for largemouth bass!

Virginia's upper stretch of the Potomac also offers a smallmouth fishery.

Roger

[shimmy]

Where would you advise fishing with a raft in the potomac for bigger bass and somewhere somewhat protected from the tides?

[RoLo]

Where would you advise fishing with a raft in the potomac for bigger bass and somewhere somewhat protected from the tides?

Good question, and best answered by one of the Virginia boys.

I will say this, in years gone by the Back Bay country was not only hospitable by raft,

but was a popular wade fishing destination for largemouth bass.

Roger

[ANDREW BASS]

Best spot to raft on the Potomac river is past Leesburg, VA on RT 15 N right by the Maryland Border.  There is a parking area right by the river, you won't have to worry about tides there.  Rafting for Bass there is by far the best, major rock over hangs, hardly any people.  Top water bait (crawfish), or spinners work very well there.  You can also catch a ton of good 2lb+ small mouth with small spinners (grubs), you can even catch trout there if you want (trout magnets work best).  Fishing by George Washington Parkway is also great for big Bass, Big Catfish and rock fish.  Rt 3 east of Fredericksburg, VA is also a great place.  I have fished all along Rt 3 east all the way to the bay, and caught big Bass, Cats, crappie and small mouth.  Great places to camp along RT 3 E, cheap and secluded.  People over look small mouth bass, but Northern Virginia produces some of the best small mouth fishing I have ever fished anywhere.  I can go to some places and catch my limit in 90 minutes, good 2-4 lbs+ easy.  Lake Anna is very over rated.  It does produce some good fish, but it always has lots of people, parking issues, Nuclear plant.  It is kind of like eating fish from a toilet that hasn't been cleaned in a long time.  Fresh water flows through it, but so does a ton of junk.

[RSmall]

Although the sampling numbers are a bit old (mostly being from 2015 and 2016), according to DGIF, the top five lakes in Northern Virginia for bass >15" are:

 

Occoquan Pelham Germantown Burke Fluvanna-Ruritan

 

As for Swift Creek Reservoir, although its nowhere near Northern Virginia, I am curious where the information about citation fish comes from as i fish that reservoir around four or five times a week.  

[Fairtax4me]

9 year old thread revival?! 

 

Fluvanna Ruritan is most certainly NOT in Nova. And I can just about guarantee you'll go there 5 times and leave beating your head against the ramp every time wondering why there are no fish in it. 

 

A 77lb catfish came out of there last year though. That's a giant cat for anywhere, much less a 50 acre lake. 

[RSmall]

15 hours ago, Fairtax4me said:

9 year old thread revival?! 

 

Fluvanna Ruritan is most certainly NOT in Nova. And I can just about guarantee you'll go there 5 times and leave beating your head against the ramp every time wondering why there are no fish in it. 

 

A 77lb catfish came out of there last year though. That's a giant cat for anywhere, much less a 50 acre lake. 

Ha ha.  I didn't notice it was a nine year old thread when it showed up at the top of the southeastern fishing section.

 

I just looked at a map and I wouldn't call that Northern Virginia either.  

[Lord Castlereagh]

On ‎10‎/‎8‎/‎2009 at 9:40 AM, lightsout said:

 Potomac all the way! You can pretty much set your watch to the topwater bite if the conditions are right.

  Anna is a fun lake to fish, as you can often turn around from beating the docks for largemouths and catch striper out in the open in the same cove. I've personally only fished it 5 times or so, but fish in the 4lb+ range were not hard to comeby.

 Alot of people over look swift creek resivoir but more citations come out of there than any other fishery in the state.

My best advice is to go on the Game and inland fisheries website, lookup "citations" and where they were caught, and zero things in from there.

There is a certain lake in the farmville area with alot of timber thats full of bigguns  

For everybody that says "Potomac," I'd like your opinion on the 53-mile Goose Creek that feeds the Potomac near Leesburg. Thanks