Jackson River fishing

Jackson River fishing is stocked with Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, and Tiger Trout on a river section. Also recorded: Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass, Redbreast Sunfish, and Fallfish. It is stocked about 25 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 Brown Trout and Brook Trout, and dawn, dusk, and night for Rock Bass.

Jackson River
Photo: Nyttend, Public domain
Last stocked
October 14, 2026
· Rainbow Trout
Plants on record
276
Species stocked
4 (+4 also recorded)
Elevation
985 ft

Fish at Jackson River

4 stocked · 4 confirmed present

Rainbow Trout Stocked · 72 plants · last May 6, 2026 Best: dawn, dusk

Last stocked May 6, 2026 · 72 plants

Best: dawn, dusk

Rainbow Trout species guide
Brown Trout Stocked · 60 plants · last May 21, 2026 Best: dawn, day, dusk

Last stocked May 21, 2026 · 60 plants

Best: dawn, day, dusk

Brown Trout species guide
Tiger Trout Stocked · 34 plants · last April 22, 2026 Best: dawn, dusk

Last stocked April 22, 2026 · 34 plants

Best: dawn, dusk

Tiger Trout species guide
Brook Trout Stocked · 18 plants · last March 26, 2026 Best: dawn, day, dusk

Last stocked March 26, 2026 · 18 plants

Best: dawn, day, dusk

Brook Trout species guide

How Jackson River is stocked

Source: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

Douthat Lake (8.5 mi) was stocked more recently. Douthat Lake is also stocked with Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, and Tiger Trout.

Stocking history

Source: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
Date Species Quantity Avg. length Source
October 14, 2026Rainbow Trout––report
October 8, 2026Brown Trout––report
October 8, 2026Rainbow Trout––report
May 21, 2026Brown Trout––report
May 18, 2026Brown Trout––report
May 6, 2026Brown Trout––report
May 6, 2026Rainbow Trout––report
April 27, 2026Brown Trout––report
April 22, 2026Tiger Trout––report
April 22, 2026Brown Trout––report
April 22, 2026Rainbow Trout––report
April 17, 2026Tiger Trout––report
April 17, 2026Brown Trout––report
March 31, 2026Brown Trout––report
March 26, 2026Tiger Trout––report
March 26, 2026Brook Trout––report
March 26, 2026Brown Trout––report
March 24, 2026Tiger Trout––report
March 24, 2026Brown Trout––report
March 4, 2026Brook Trout––report
March 4, 2026Rainbow Trout––report
March 3, 2026Tiger Trout––report
March 3, 2026Rainbow Trout––report
January 22, 2026Brown Trout––report
January 22, 2026Rainbow Trout––report
January 14, 2026Brown Trout––report
January 6, 2026Brown Trout––report
November 20, 2025Brown Trout––report
November 19, 2025Rainbow Trout––report
November 6, 2025Brown Trout––report
October 17, 2025Tiger Trout––report
October 17, 2025Brown Trout––report
October 17, 2025Rainbow Trout––report
October 8, 2025Brown Trout––report
October 8, 2025Rainbow Trout––report
May 29, 2025Tiger Trout––report
May 29, 2025Brook Trout––report
May 29, 2025Rainbow Trout––report
May 20, 2025Tiger Trout––report
May 20, 2025Rainbow Trout––report
May 20, 2025Tiger Trout––report
May 20, 2025Rainbow Trout––report
May 5, 2025Tiger Trout––report
May 5, 2025Brown Trout––report
May 5, 2025Rainbow Trout––report
April 29, 2025Tiger Trout––report
April 29, 2025Brown Trout––report
April 29, 2025Rainbow Trout––report
April 18, 2025Tiger Trout––report
April 18, 2025Rainbow Trout––report
March 21, 2025Tiger Trout––report
March 21, 2025Brook Trout––report
March 21, 2025Rainbow Trout––report
March 11, 2025Brook Trout––report
March 11, 2025Brown Trout––report
March 11, 2025Rainbow Trout––report
February 27, 2025Brook Trout––report
February 27, 2025Rainbow Trout––report
February 14, 2025Rainbow Trout––report
January 31, 2025Rainbow Trout––report
January 3, 2025Brown Trout––report
January 3, 2025Rainbow Trout––report
December 10, 2024Brown Trout––report
December 10, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
November 26, 2024Brown Trout––report
November 26, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
November 25, 2024Brown Trout––report
November 25, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
October 9, 2024Brown Trout––report
October 9, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
October 7, 2024Brown Trout––report
October 3, 2024Brown Trout––report
October 3, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
May 30, 2024Tiger Trout––report
May 30, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
May 28, 2024Tiger Trout––report
May 28, 2024Brook Trout––report
May 28, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
May 16, 2024Tiger Trout––report
May 16, 2024Brook Trout––report
May 15, 2024Tiger Trout––report
May 15, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
April 24, 2024Tiger Trout––report
April 24, 2024Brown Trout––report
April 24, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
April 4, 2024Tiger Trout––report
April 4, 2024Brook Trout––report
April 4, 2024Brown Trout––report
April 4, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
March 26, 2024Tiger Trout––report
March 26, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
March 14, 2024Tiger Trout––report
March 14, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
March 8, 2024Brown Trout––report
March 8, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
March 4, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
February 23, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
February 22, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
February 1, 2024Rainbow Trout––report
December 19, 2023Brown Trout––report
November 28, 2023Rainbow Trout––report
November 13, 2023Brown Trout––report
November 13, 2023Rainbow Trout––report
October 13, 2023Brown Trout––report
October 13, 2023Rainbow Trout––report
October 10, 2023Brown Trout––report
October 6, 2023Brown Trout––report
October 6, 2023Rainbow Trout––report
May 30, 2023Rainbow Trout––report
May 26, 2023Rainbow Trout––report
May 17, 2023Brook Trout––report
May 17, 2023Brown Trout––report
May 17, 2023Rainbow Trout––report
May 8, 2023Tiger Trout––report
May 8, 2023Brown Trout––report
April 25, 2023Brook Trout––report
April 25, 2023Brown Trout––report
April 25, 2023Rainbow Trout––report
April 18, 2023Tiger Trout––report
April 18, 2023Brown Trout––report
April 14, 2023Tiger Trout––report
April 14, 2023Brook Trout––report
March 29, 2023Brook Trout––report
March 29, 2023Brown Trout––report
March 29, 2023Rainbow Trout––report
March 16, 2023Brown Trout––report
March 9, 2023Tiger Trout––report
March 9, 2023Brook Trout––report
March 8, 2023Tiger Trout––report
March 8, 2023Brook Trout––report
February 7, 2023Brown Trout––report
February 7, 2023Rainbow Trout––report
February 1, 2023Brown Trout––report
February 1, 2023Rainbow Trout––report
December 14, 2022Tiger Trout––report
December 14, 2022Brown Trout––report
December 14, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
November 18, 2022Tiger Trout––report
November 18, 2022Brown Trout––report
November 18, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
November 16, 2022Tiger Trout––report
November 16, 2022Brown Trout––report
November 16, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
October 12, 2022Brown Trout––report
October 12, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
October 4, 2022Brown Trout––report
October 4, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
October 3, 2022Brown Trout––report
October 3, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
May 26, 2022Brown Trout––report
May 26, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
May 25, 2022Brown Trout––report
May 25, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
May 11, 2022Brown Trout––report
May 11, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
April 19, 2022Tiger Trout––report
April 19, 2022Brown Trout––report
April 19, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
April 15, 2022Tiger Trout––report
April 15, 2022Brook Trout––report
April 15, 2022Brown Trout––report
April 15, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
March 31, 2022Brown Trout––report
March 31, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
March 21, 2022Brook Trout––report
March 21, 2022Brown Trout––report
March 21, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
March 18, 2022Tiger Trout––report
March 18, 2022Brown Trout––report
March 18, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
March 11, 2022Tiger Trout––report
March 11, 2022Brown Trout––report
March 11, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
February 25, 2022Tiger Trout––report
February 25, 2022Brown Trout––report
February 25, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
February 17, 2022Brook Trout––report
February 17, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
January 25, 2022Brown Trout––report
January 25, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
January 12, 2022Brown Trout––report
January 12, 2022Rainbow Trout––report
December 17, 2021Rainbow Trout––report
December 16, 2021Rainbow Trout––report
October 21, 2021Rainbow Trout––report
October 12, 2021Rainbow Trout––report
October 7, 2021Rainbow Trout––report
May 27, 2021–––report
May 25, 2021–––report
May 10, 2021–––report
April 16, 2021–––report
April 15, 2021–––report
March 31, 2021–––report
March 31, 2021–––report
March 30, 2021–––report
March 8, 2021–––report
March 4, 2021–––report
February 16, 2021–––report
February 9, 2021–––report
January 28, 2021–––report
January 20, 2021–––report
December 30, 2020–––report
December 3, 2020–––report
October 22, 2020–––report
October 5, 2020–––report
October 2, 2020–––report
May 29, 2020–––report
May 28, 2020–––report
May 21, 2020–––report
May 15, 2020–––report
April 28, 2020–––report
April 17, 2020–––report
April 13, 2020–––report
March 19, 2020–––report
March 13, 2020–––report
March 11, 2020–––report
February 27, 2020–––report
February 26, 2020–––report
February 4, 2020–––report
January 14, 2020–––report
January 6, 2020–––report
December 16, 2019–––report
December 12, 2019–––report
October 9, 2019–––report
October 4, 2019–––report
May 29, 2019–––report
May 17, 2019–––report
May 16, 2019–––report
April 24, 2019–––report
April 19, 2019–––report
April 10, 2019–––report
March 18, 2019–––report
March 13, 2019–––report
March 7, 2019–––report
February 27, 2019–––report
February 22, 2019–––report
February 15, 2019–––report
January 9, 2019–––report
January 7, 2019–––report
January 7, 2019–––report
November 20, 2018–––report
November 13, 2018–––report
October 19, 2018–––report
October 10, 2018–––report
May 24, 2018–––report
May 18, 2018–––report
May 14, 2018–––report
April 27, 2018–––report
April 5, 2018–––report
March 26, 2018–––report
March 20, 2018–––report
March 9, 2018–––report
February 21, 2018–––report
February 15, 2018–––report
January 22, 2018–––report
January 16, 2018–––report
November 30, 2017–––report
November 17, 2017–––report
October 13, 2017–––report
October 12, 2017–––report
May 23, 2017–––report
May 18, 2017–––report
May 10, 2017–––report
April 25, 2017–––report
April 14, 2017–––report
April 4, 2017–––report
March 23, 2017–––report
March 16, 2017–––report
March 1, 2017–––report
February 24, 2017–––report
February 8, 2017–––report
January 12, 2017–––report
November 21, 2016–––report
November 18, 2016–––report
October 19, 2016–––report
October 6, 2016–––report

Access and facts

Water type
river section
Nearest town
Clifton Forge, VA
Facilities
restrooms, camping

DWR lists free shoreline access on the Jackson River at Low Moor and Island Ford II, a fee concrete ramp in downtown Clifton Forge, and a fee boat slide in nearby Covington. Above Lake Moomaw in Bath County, the stocked water is reached from USFS Hidden Valley and Poor Farm.

Drafted by AI from the cited sources and checked before publishing.

View larger map · Open in Google Maps · Directions

Advisories, closures, regulations and water conditions change. Check the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources before you go.

About Jackson River

Photo of Jackson River
Nyttend, Public domain

Nearest lakes

Wilson Creek 2.4 mi last stocked April 9, 2026 Smith Creek 3.4 mi last stocked April 6, 2026 Clifton Forge Reservoir 5.8 mi last stocked April 30, 2026 Douthat Lake 8.5 mi last stocked May 29, 2026 Pads Creek 9.7 mi last stocked May 4, 2026

Common questions

What fish are at Jackson River?

Fishing Jackson River usually means Rainbow Trout: Rainbow Trout accounts for 72 of 184 plants on record, ahead of Brown Trout and 2 more. Rainbow Trout was last stocked May 6, 2026. Brown Trout was last stocked May 21, 2026. Tiger Trout was last stocked April 22, 2026. Brook Trout was last stocked March 26, 2026. Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass, Redbreast Sunfish, and Fallfish are recorded here outside the stocking reports.

When is Jackson River stocked?

Last stocked October 14, 2026. It is stocked about 25 times a year since 2016, most often in March and May.

How do you get on Jackson River?

The nearest town is Clifton Forge, VA. Facilities include restrooms and camping. DWR lists free shoreline access on the Jackson River at Low Moor and Island Ford II, a fee concrete ramp in downtown Clifton Forge, and a fee boat slide in nearby Covington. Above Lake Moomaw in Bath County, the stocked water is reached from USFS Hidden Valley and Poor Farm.

Which lakes near Jackson River were stocked more recently?

Douthat Lake (8.5 mi) was stocked more recently. Douthat Lake is also stocked with Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, and Tiger Trout.

Sources (8) +