Rainbow Trout Stocked · 31 plants · last May 26, 2026 Best: dawn, dusk Cowpasture River fishing
Cowpasture River fishing is stocked with Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, and Tiger Trout on a river section. Also recorded: Smallmouth Bass, Muskellunge, Redbreast Sunfish, Rock Bass, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, and 3 more. It is stocked about 11 times a year since 2016, most often in March and May. Species guides list dawn and dusk for Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout, and Smallmouth Bass, dawn, day, and dusk for Brook Trout, Brown Trout, and Bluegill, and dawn, dusk, and night for Rock Bass.
- Last stocked
- October 20, 2026
- · Brown Trout
- Plants on record
- 119
- Species stocked
- 4 (+9 also recorded)
- Elevation
- 1,554 ft
Fish at Cowpasture River
Rainbow Trout Stocked · 31 plants · last May 26, 2026 Best: dawn, dusk 
Brown Trout Stocked · 20 plants · last May 26, 2026 Best: dawn, day, dusk 
Brook Trout Stocked · 15 plants · last March 12, 2026 Best: dawn, day, dusk 
Tiger Trout Stocked · 13 plants · last May 26, 2026 Best: dawn, dusk 
Smallmouth Bass Confirmed present Best: dawn, dusk Best: dawn, dusk
Smallmouth Bass species guide
Muskellunge Confirmed present Best: dawn, dusk Best: dawn, dusk
Muskellunge species guide
Redbreast Sunfish Confirmed present 
Rock Bass Confirmed present Best: dawn, dusk, night Best: dawn, dusk, night
Rock Bass species guide
Bluegill Confirmed present Best: dawn, day, dusk Best: dawn, day, dusk
Bluegill species guide
Pumpkinseed Confirmed present Best: dusk Best: dusk
Pumpkinseed species guide Fallfish Confirmed present
Chain Pickerel Confirmed present Best: dawn, day, dusk Best: dawn, day, dusk
Chain Pickerel species guide
Largemouth Bass Confirmed present Best: dawn, dusk Best: dawn, dusk
Largemouth Bass species guideHow Cowpasture River is stocked
Back Creek (13.4 mi) was stocked more recently. Back Creek is also stocked with Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout, and Brook Trout.
Stocking history
| Date | Species | Quantity | Avg. length | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 20, 2026 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| May 26, 2026 | Tiger Trout | – | – | report |
| May 26, 2026 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| May 26, 2026 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| April 24, 2026 | Tiger Trout | – | – | report |
| April 24, 2026 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| March 12, 2026 | Brook Trout | – | – | report |
| March 12, 2026 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| March 12, 2026 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| February 23, 2026 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| January 6, 2026 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| December 4, 2025 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| November 19, 2025 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| October 1, 2025 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| May 28, 2025 | Tiger Trout | – | – | report |
| May 28, 2025 | Brook Trout | – | – | report |
| May 28, 2025 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| April 3, 2025 | Tiger Trout | – | – | report |
| April 3, 2025 | Brook Trout | – | – | report |
| March 17, 2025 | Brook Trout | – | – | report |
| March 17, 2025 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| March 17, 2025 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| February 21, 2025 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| January 27, 2025 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| December 2, 2024 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| November 21, 2024 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| October 1, 2024 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| October 1, 2024 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| May 29, 2024 | Tiger Trout | – | – | report |
| May 29, 2024 | Brook Trout | – | – | report |
| May 29, 2024 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| May 17, 2024 | Tiger Trout | – | – | report |
| May 17, 2024 | Brook Trout | – | – | report |
| April 22, 2024 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| April 22, 2024 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| April 9, 2024 | Brook Trout | – | – | report |
| April 9, 2024 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| April 9, 2024 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| March 6, 2024 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| March 6, 2024 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| February 16, 2024 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| December 21, 2023 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| October 4, 2023 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| May 24, 2023 | Brook Trout | – | – | report |
| May 24, 2023 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| May 10, 2023 | Tiger Trout | – | – | report |
| May 10, 2023 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| April 18, 2023 | Tiger Trout | – | – | report |
| April 18, 2023 | Brook Trout | – | – | report |
| April 5, 2023 | Tiger Trout | – | – | report |
| April 5, 2023 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| March 17, 2023 | Tiger Trout | – | – | report |
| March 17, 2023 | Brook Trout | – | – | report |
| March 17, 2023 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| February 13, 2023 | Brook Trout | – | – | report |
| February 13, 2023 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| February 13, 2023 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| December 16, 2022 | Tiger Trout | – | – | report |
| December 16, 2022 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| December 16, 2022 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| October 21, 2022 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| October 21, 2022 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| May 27, 2022 | Tiger Trout | – | – | report |
| May 27, 2022 | Brook Trout | – | – | report |
| May 27, 2022 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| May 27, 2022 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| May 10, 2022 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| May 10, 2022 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| April 26, 2022 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| March 9, 2022 | Tiger Trout | – | – | report |
| March 9, 2022 | Brook Trout | – | – | report |
| March 9, 2022 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| March 9, 2022 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| February 18, 2022 | Brook Trout | – | – | report |
| February 18, 2022 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| January 29, 2022 | Brown Trout | – | – | report |
| January 29, 2022 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| December 29, 2021 | Brook Trout | – | – | report |
| December 29, 2021 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| October 1, 2021 | Rainbow Trout | – | – | report |
| May 26, 2021 | – | – | – | report |
| May 3, 2021 | – | – | – | report |
| April 21, 2021 | – | – | – | report |
| March 20, 2021 | – | – | – | report |
| February 26, 2021 | – | – | – | report |
| January 29, 2021 | – | – | – | report |
| December 1, 2020 | – | – | – | report |
| October 1, 2020 | – | – | – | report |
| May 26, 2020 | – | – | – | report |
| May 15, 2020 | – | – | – | report |
| March 18, 2020 | – | – | – | report |
| February 4, 2020 | – | – | – | report |
| January 23, 2020 | – | – | – | report |
| December 27, 2019 | – | – | – | report |
| October 10, 2019 | – | – | – | report |
| May 29, 2019 | – | – | – | report |
| May 10, 2019 | – | – | – | report |
| April 30, 2019 | – | – | – | report |
| March 15, 2019 | – | – | – | report |
| February 13, 2019 | – | – | – | report |
| January 16, 2019 | – | – | – | report |
| December 21, 2018 | – | – | – | report |
| October 11, 2018 | – | – | – | report |
| May 23, 2018 | – | – | – | report |
| May 7, 2018 | – | – | – | report |
| April 21, 2018 | – | – | – | report |
| March 15, 2018 | – | – | – | report |
| February 9, 2018 | – | – | – | report |
| January 17, 2018 | – | – | – | report |
| December 14, 2017 | – | – | – | report |
| October 1, 2017 | – | – | – | report |
| May 24, 2017 | – | – | – | report |
| May 6, 2017 | – | – | – | report |
| April 18, 2017 | – | – | – | report |
| March 10, 2017 | – | – | – | report |
| February 22, 2017 | – | – | – | report |
| January 18, 2017 | – | – | – | report |
| December 27, 2016 | – | – | – | report |
| October 1, 2016 | – | – | – | report |
Access and facts
- Water type
- river section
- Nearest town
- Iron Gate, VA
DWR lists public access on Forest Service land: bank fishing at the Wallace Tract near Williamsville and the Walton Tract below Nimrod Hall, and hand launches at Walton Tract, Sharon Park, and the Evans Tract off Route 633 near Iron Gate.
Drafted by AI from the cited sources and checked before publishing.
Advisories, closures, regulations and water conditions change. Check the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources before you go.
About Cowpasture River
Nearest lakes
Public land at Cowpasture River
Cowpasture River is inside George Washington and Jefferson National Forest.
Boundaries from Public Lands DB, part of the same network.
Common questions
What fish are at Cowpasture River?
Fishing Cowpasture River usually means Rainbow Trout: Rainbow Trout accounts for 31 of 79 plants on record, ahead of Brown Trout and 2 more. Rainbow Trout was last stocked May 26, 2026. Brown Trout was last stocked May 26, 2026. Brook Trout was last stocked March 12, 2026. Tiger Trout was last stocked May 26, 2026. Smallmouth Bass, Muskellunge, Redbreast Sunfish, and Rock Bass, plus 5 more are recorded here outside the stocking reports.
When is Cowpasture River stocked?
Last stocked October 20, 2026. It is stocked about 11 times a year since 2016, most often in March and May.
How do you get on Cowpasture River?
The nearest town is Iron Gate, VA. DWR lists public access on Forest Service land: bank fishing at the Wallace Tract near Williamsville and the Walton Tract below Nimrod Hall, and hand launches at Walton Tract, Sharon Park, and the Evans Tract off Route 633 near Iron Gate.
Which lakes near Cowpasture River were stocked more recently?
Back Creek (13.4 mi) was stocked more recently. Back Creek is also stocked with Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout, and Brook Trout.