Top fish species at Charles Lake
Check which species have trophy potential in Charles Lake
Charles Lake fishing reports
Log your catch and check out other catches from the community in the Fishbrain app.
Fishing regulations at Charles Lake, VA
Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.
Fishing regulations in Virginia can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.
Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Atlantic bluefin tuna as of April 3rd, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.
Seasons
Min size
Measurement
Special gear
The Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) daily retention limit applies to vessels permitted in the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling category when fishing recreationally for bluefin tuna. Retention limits for HMS Angling category-permitted vessels are as follows:
Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT):
- < 27" curved fork length: bag limit = 0
- 27" to <73" curved fork length: bag limit = 1 per vessel per day or trip
- > 73" curved fork length: bag limit = 1 per vessel per year provided the "trophy" category subquota in the respective region is available at the time of harvest (see below).
- Gulf of Maine: open
- Southern New England: open
- Trophy South: closed
- Gulf of America: open
For additional regulations and bag limits, see the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Recreational Bag Limits webpage .
Bluefin tuna retention limits may change throughout the season. To confirm current limits, call 1-888-872-8862 or 1-978-281-9260.
Anglers must report all recreational bluefin tuna landings. Report all non-tournament recreational Atlantic bluefin tuna landings to NMFS within 24 hours by calling 1-888-872-8862 or hmspermits.noaa.gov.
You must report recreational landings of bluefin tuna in North Carolina by calling 1-800-338-7804.
You must report recreational landings of bluefin tuna in Maryland by calling 1-410-213-1531.
Fishing for highly migratory species recreationally requires an HMS Angling or Charter/Headboat vessel permit from NOAA Fisheries. Permits are available by calling 1-888-872-8862, or by visiting hmspermits.noaa.gov. No sale permitted for HMS species caught under an HMS Angling Permit.
For complete HMS regulations contact NOAA Fisheries HMS Management Division at 1-301-427-8503 or visit www.fisheries.noaa.gov
Thunnus thynnus
Regulations for
FAQ about Charles Lake fishing
- Atlantic bluefin tuna - 1 members reported to have caught this fish
- Summer flounder - 1 members reported to have caught this fish
- Spotted bass - 1 members reported to have caught this fish
- @jason-mccune reported a nice Spotted bass.
- @cgrubbs6392 reported a nice Atlantic bluefin tuna.
- @koolgro reported a nice Summer flounder.
Free trial available