←
Virginia
48 species
Virginia
48 species
🐟
Freshwater Fish
Brook Trout
🦅
State Bird
Northern Cardinal
🌸
State Flower
Flowering Dogwood
🦌
State Mammal
American Foxhound
Largemouth Bass
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May, Jun
Secondary: Sep, Oct, Nov
🌡️ Temp: 60-85°F
🏞️ Habitat: lakes, reservoirs, rivers
Spring spawn peak; statewide
Smallmouth Bass
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Apr, May, Jun
Secondary: Sep
🌡️ Temp: 55-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, rocky_streams
Western VA rivers; Shenandoah focus
Spotted Bass
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Apr, May, Jun
Secondary: Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 60-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, reservoirs
Southwest VA rivers
Bluegill
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug
🌡️ Temp: 65-85°F
🏞️ Habitat: ponds, lakes
Bedding cycles; statewide
Redear Sunfish
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Apr, May
🌡️ Temp: 68-82°F
🏞️ Habitat: lakes, ponds
Shellcracker; spring beds
Black Crappie
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr
🌡️ Temp: 55-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: lakes, reservoirs
Spring spawn focus
White Crappie
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr
🌡️ Temp: 55-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: lakes, reservoirs
Spring spawn focus
Channel Catfish
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🌡️ Temp: 70-85°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, lakes
Summer peak; statewide
Blue Catfish
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 70-85°F
🏞️ Habitat: large_rivers, tidal_rivers
Trophy potential; James/Rappahannock rivers
Flathead Catfish
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Jun, Jul, Aug
🌡️ Temp: 72-88°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers
Large river systems
Brook Trout
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May
🌡️ Temp: 40-65°F
🏞️ Habitat: mountain_streams
⭐ State fish; native headwaters; Shenandoah/Blue Ridge
Rainbow Trout
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May
🌡️ Temp: 45-65°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers
Stocked; Western VA mountains
Brown Trout
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May
🌡️ Temp: 45-65°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers
Stocked; Western VA
Chain Pickerel
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Year-round; common in ponds/slow rivers
White Perch
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Year-round; tidal rivers & Chesapeake
American Eel
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Catadromous; tidal rivers
Bowfin
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Living fossil; Eastern VA wetlands
Longnose Gar
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Year-round; tidal rivers common
Common Carp
⚠️ InvasivePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
⚠️ Invasive; removal encouraged
Grass Carp
⚠️ InvasivePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
⚠️ Invasive; vegetation control
Goldfish
⚠️ InvasivePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
⚠️ Invasive; released pets
Striped Bass
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May
Secondary: Oct, Nov
🌡️ Temp: 50-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: tidal_rivers, chesapeake_bay, surf
⭐ "Rockfish" - VA icon; spring run peak
Red Drum
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Sep, Oct, Nov
Secondary: Apr, May, Jun
🌡️ Temp: 60-78°F
🏞️ Habitat: inshore, surf, tidal_rivers
Fall run peak; Eastern Shore surf
Black Drum
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Feb, Mar, Apr
🌡️ Temp: 55-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: chesapeake_bay, inshore
Winter-spring near structure
Atlantic Croaker
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🌡️ Temp: 60-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: chesapeake_bay, inshore
Summer Bay staple
Spot
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🌡️ Temp: 60-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: chesapeake_bay, surf
Summer; Chesapeake Bay focus
Spotted Seatrout
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec
Secondary: Mar, Apr
🌡️ Temp: 60-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: chesapeake_bay, inshore
Cool-season prime; "Speckled Trout"
Summer Flounder
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🌡️ Temp: 58-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: chesapeake_bay, nearshore, surf
Summer; Bay + ocean
Bluefish
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 55-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: chesapeake_bay, surf, nearshore
Spring/fall runs; aggressive
Spanish Mackerel
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🌡️ Temp: 65-78°F
🏞️ Habitat: chesapeake_bay, nearshore
Summer schools; Bay mouth + ocean
King Mackerel
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🌡️ Temp: 68-80°F
🏞️ Habitat: offshore, nearshore
Summer offshore; Eastern Shore
Cobia
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun
🌡️ Temp: 70-80°F
🏞️ Habitat: chesapeake_bay, nearshore
Spring migration; "Ling"
Black Sea Bass
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 55-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: reefs, wrecks, chesapeake_bay
Spring-fall; structure
Tautog
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr
🌡️ Temp: 45-65°F
🏞️ Habitat: reefs, wrecks, jetties
Blackfish; cool-season; structure
Sheepshead
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Feb, Mar, Apr
🌡️ Temp: 55-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: inshore, piers, jetties
Winter-spring; structure
Sandbar Shark
Awareness OnlyPeak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
⚠️ Common in Bay + nearshore
Blacktip Shark
Awareness OnlyPeak: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
⚠️ Summer presence
Bull Shark
Awareness OnlyPeak: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
⚠️ CAUTION; freshwater tolerant
Cownose Ray
Awareness OnlyPeak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
⚠️ Schools in Chesapeake; spring-fall
Southern Stingray
Awareness OnlyPeak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
⚠️ Venomous barb; shuffle feet
Minnows (group)
Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers, lakes
Essential forage base
Shiners (group)
Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers, lakes
Popular live bait
Darters (group)
Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers
Benthic forage - indicator species
Suckers (group)
Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers
Spring spawning runs
Atlantic Menhaden (Bunker)
RegulatedPeak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov
🌡️ Temp: 55-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: chesapeake_bay, coastal
Essential forage - indicator species
Bay Anchovy
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 60-80°F
🏞️ Habitat: chesapeake_bay, estuaries
Abundant forage
Silversides
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 55-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: bays, estuaries
Common baitfish
River Herring (Alewife / Blueback)
Peak: Mar, Apr, May, Jun
🌡️ Temp: 50-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, chesapeake_bay
Protected - spawning run species
