It’s a fishing day

Lake Anna State Park fishing conditions · Virginia

Sit it outno largemouth bass window clears the bar in 36 hours

Largemouth bass is the best bet here today.

Frost Advisory until Monday 9 am
Log a trip here
Right now: 43 for largemouth bass, sit it outTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Largemouth bass, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 433 am
  2. 43
  3. 43
  4. 436 am
  5. 33
  6. 33
  7. 339 am
  8. 33
  9. 33
  10. 3312 pm
  11. 33
  12. 33
  13. 333 pm
  14. 33
  15. 33
  16. 336 pm
  17. 33
  18. 33
  19. 339 pm
  20. 33
  21. 33
  22. 33Tue
  23. 33
  24. 33
  25. 333 am
  26. 33
  27. 33
  28. 336 am
  29. 33
  30. 33
  31. 359 am
  32. 43
  33. 43
  34. 4312 pm
  35. 43
  36. 35
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
No reading

Largemouth bass range 55–85°

Wind
1 mph

From the northeast

Light
Dark

Sunrise 7:30 am

Sky
Patchy Fog

No rain expected

Air
39°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Falling

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
100% lit

Full

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Virginia non-tidal (VDWR) regulations for these waters.

Largemouth Bass

Largemouth bass

Micropterus salmoides

43Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Largemouth bass bite in 55–85° water, best near 72°.

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Virginia statewide: 5 bass a day combined (largemouth and smallmouth), no statewide length limit. Many rivers and lakes have their own length rules, among them the James and New rivers (no bass 14–22", 1 over 22"), the Shenandoah (no bass 11–14"), and Kerr, Gaston, Leesville and Smith Mountain (only 2 of 5 under 14").

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Virginia non-tidal (VDWR)

Season here: Mar–Nov. More on largemouth bass

Striped Bass

Striped bass

Morone saxatilis

43Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Striped bass bite in 50–72° water, best near 62°.

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 5–35 ft down.

Keep

20" minimum · 4 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Virginia landlocked striped bass and hybrids: 4 a day combined, none under 20", open all year. Kerr, Claytor, Gaston and Smith Mountain have their own seasonal rules.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Virginia non-tidal (VDWR)

Season here: Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov. More on striped bass

Crappie

Crappie

Pomoxis spp.

43Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Crappie bite in 50–80° water, best near 65°.

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

25 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Virginia statewide: 25 crappie a day combined, no length limit. Exceptions include a 9" minimum on Kerr Reservoir and no daily limit on Lake Gaston.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Virginia non-tidal (VDWR)

Season here: Mar–Jun, Oct–Nov. More on crappie

Channel Catfish

Channel catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

43Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Channel catfish bite in 60–85° water, best near 75°.

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 5–30 ft down.

Keep

20 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Virginia statewide: channel, white and flathead catfish 20 a day, no length limit. No daily limit in rivers below the fall line.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Virginia non-tidal (VDWR)

Season here: Apr–Nov. More on channel catfish

Walleye

Walleye

Sander vitreus

43Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Walleye bite in 50–72° water, best near 62°.

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 10–40 ft down.

Keep

18" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Virginia statewide: 5 walleye and saugeye a day combined, none under 18". Claytor Lake and the New River up to Fries Dam: 2 walleye a day, none 19–28".

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Virginia non-tidal (VDWR)

Season here: Mar–May, Oct–Dec. More on walleye

Chain Pickerel

Chain pickerel

Esox niger

43Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Chain pickerel bite in 45–80° water, best near 60°.

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 3–15 ft down.

Keep

5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Virginia statewide: 5 a day (chain pickerel and northern pike), no length limit. No daily limit on Lake Gaston and Kerr Reservoir.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Virginia non-tidal (VDWR)

Season here: Oct–Apr. More on chain pickerel

Common Carp

Common carp

Cyprinus carpio

43Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Common carp bite in 52–86° water, best near 72°.

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 1–15 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Virginia inland waters: carp may be possessed in unlimited numbers for personal use.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Virginia non-tidal (VDWR)

Last checked 8 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Oct. More on common carp

The water

  • Water temperatureNo reading
  • Barometer30.41 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunrise today7:30 am
  • Sunset today6:19 pm
  • MoonFull, 100% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 7:30 am–8:30 am
  • Major solunarToday 12:10 pm–2:10 pm
  • Minor solunarToday 5:50 pm–6:50 pm

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Virginia DWR has the state’s fishing pages.

Licenses and rules: VA DWR/VMRC · fish-consumption advisory

About this spot

13,000-acre reservoir on the North Anna River, divided into a ~9,000-acre public ("cold") side and a ~4,000-acre private ("warm") side that receives warm-water discharge from the North Anna Nuclear Generating Station. Lake Anna State Park sits on the public side and provides boat ramps and a fishing pier. Popular bass, landlocked striper, walleye, and channel catfish fishery.

Day-use fee at the state park. Public access is on the "cold" side; the warmer "private" side is restricted to riparian property owners. Fish populations and water-temperature patterns differ across the two sides.

Nearby

The closest public spots we cover, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Friendship Farm Park43 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 7 am–1 pm
100Go
Leesylvania State Park44 mi · VirginiaBest tonight 11 pm to tomorrow 3 pm
100Go
Chapel Point State Park49 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 5 am–3 pm
100Go
Occoquan Regional Park49 mi · VirginiaBest tomorrow 4 am–3 pmFrost Advisory
75Worth the trip
Mason Neck State Park50 mi · VirginiaBest tomorrow 3 am–2 pm
100Go
Chapman State Park51 mi · MarylandBest tomorrow 2 am–3 pm
100Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Lake Anna State Park?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Lake Anna State Park you need a Virginia freshwater fishing license issued by DWR (and a separate trout license for designated stocked trout waters October 1 through June 15). See the agency's current rules: https://dwr.virginia.gov/fishing/regulations/licenses/

What fish are commonly targeted at Lake Anna State Park?

Lake Anna State Park is listed on this site for 7 commonly-targeted species: Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, and 3 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Lake Anna State Park?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Lake Anna State Park against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Lake Anna State Park have?

Lake Anna State Park has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. Day-use fee at the state park. Public access is on the "cold" side; the warmer "private" side is restricted to riparian property owners. Fish populations and water-temperature patterns differ across the two sides.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Lake Anna State Park?

Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) freshwater regulations apply at Lake Anna State Park. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Lake Anna State Park tidal water?

No. Lake Anna State Park is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.

Is there parking or an entry fee at Lake Anna State Park?

Day-use fee at the state park. Public access is on the "cold" side; the warmer "private" side is restricted to riparian property owners. Fish populations and water-temperature patterns differ across the two sides.