Trout fishing provides significant opportunities for outdoor recreation in Virginia. About 32 percent of anglers in Virginia pursue stocked trout.
Due to Virginia’s warm climate, trout thrive year around only in higher-elevation mountain streams and in cold river tailwaters below a few large dams, such as the Jackson River and the Smith River. Consequently, 80% of trout fishing in Virginia depends upon the more than 600,000 catchable-size trout stocked annually by Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR). Approximately 100,000 anglers fish for these stocked trout in Virginia each year in more than 180 streams and lakes stocked by DWR.
Due to the importance of trout fishing in Virginia, and the significant investment required to operate and maintain hatcheries to produce catchable-sized trout (generally greater than seven inches, but frequently 10–12 inches), DWR developed the Virginia Stocked Trout Management Plan (hereafter referred to as the “Plan”) to ensure effective and efficient management of trout fisheries over the next 5 years. Following a process similar to those used to develop statewide management plans for white-tailed deer, black bear, and wild turkey, the Virginia Stocked Trout Management Plan is designed to embody the interests of all Virginians who care about trout fishing (stakeholders). The planning process focused on balancing stakeholder values and sound biological information provided by DWR to produce a plan that is technically sound and publicly supported. The Plan includes values and goals identified by stakeholders to determine what Virginians want the stocked trout program to achieve and objectives and strategies, primarily developed by DWR technical staff, to describe how the goals and objectives can be achieved.
The Plan contains two major sections: the technical section and the goals, objectives and strategies for management of stocked trout. The technical section describes the history of trout management in Virginia, how DWR approaches management of stocked trout, including production, facilities, species produced, and challenges faced in raising trout. The second section of the Plan lists the values and goals for management of stocked trout within five major issue areas (what stakeholders want to achieve and why) and the objectives and strategies for management of stocked trout (specific accomplishments that will allow DWR to measure success in achieving goals and how to approach achieving goals and objectives). The Plan is designed to provide a blueprint for future direction of stocked trout management rather than specific details of day-to-day operations.
Ang mga lugar ng isyu at nauugnay na mga pahayag ng layunin ay ang mga sumusunod:
Funding and Administration
Goal: Maintain a productive and adequately funded stocked trout program, including investigation of alternative funding and resource mechanisms to meet current and anticipated future demands. Maintain an open and transparent decision-making process regarding stocked trout management.
Announcement of Stockings
Goal: Announce stockings using a variety of strategies to provide equitable access to the resource and to address the diverse preferences of trout anglers. In addition to existing Heritage Day events, some stockings will be announced in advance to allow anglers to plan fishing trips to coincide with known stockings. Other stockings will be announced at the end of the day when stocking occurs to reduce crowding and ensure the safety of anglers and DWR personnel involved with stocking.
Angler Recruitment and Retention
Goal: Inform and educate existing and potential future anglers, recruit younger and more diverse anglers, and retain those already engaged through new promotion efforts.
Ecosystem Effects
Goal: Manage trout stocking to optimize recreational opportunities while minimizing adverse impacts on aquatic and surrounding habitats, wild and native trout and other aquatic species. Manage habitat in stocked trout waters and preserve the aesthetics of the angling experience.
Mga Pagkakataon sa Libangan
Goal: Provide a diversity of stocked trout fishing experiences designed to meet diverse angler preferences and increase participation. Improve access to stocked trout waters for all anglers
DWR shared the Plan with the public by posting it on the DWR website in July 2026. Public comments were received online until August 2026. The DWR Technical Committee reviewed all public comments and revised the plan accordingly. A summary of the comments and DWR’s response are included in an appendix at the end of the Plan.
Read the Stocked Trout Management Plan (2026–2031)