Public Invited to Comment March 12–April 11, 2025
Smallmouth bass are Virginia’s second most popular sportfish—in a given year, more than 55% of anglers fish for this species. It’s no surprise that smallmouth are so popular, as few fishes match this species’ fighting spirit and striking appearance. Virginia hosts quality smallmouth fishing opportunities in its warm water streams and rivers as well as large reservoirs such as Smith Mountain Lake and Lake Moomaw.
To provide additional transparency to the fisheries management process, the DWR has drafted a Smallmouth Bass Management Plan. This plan aims to use management and monitoring to enhance recreational opportunities for smallmouth, employ targeted research to better understand the species, explore hatchery culture to potentially enhance and restore populations throughout the state, and more effectively promote this resource.
You can read the plan at the link below and you have the opportunity to provide comments until April 11, 2025. DWR staff will review your comments and consider them relative to the goals, objectives, and strategies within the plan. We strongly encourage you to provide input if you value smallmouth bass—public input provides us with a better understanding of what anglers want and help us to ensure that we are better meeting your needs. Your license dollars pay for the work that we do and we want to hear what you think—good or bad.
DWR aims to adopt this plan in the fall of 2025.
Read the Draft Smallmouth Bass Management Plan