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  4. Sunfish fishing in Virginia

Sunfish fishing in Virginia

Virginia provides strong freshwater fishing opportunities for sunfish. Lakes, rivers, and reservoirs across the state offer reliable action for anglers.

Sunfish fishing spots in Virginia

Best baits and lures for Sunfish in Virginia

According to catch data from over 20 million anglers on Fishbrain, these are the best baits used to catch Sunfish.

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Biggest Sunfish catches

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Latest Sunfish fishing reports in Virginia

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Pumpkinseed

Bayville Farms Park Lake

length · weight

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Bluegill

Lake Izac

length · weight

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Redbreast sunfish

Mattaponi River

length · weight

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Green sunfish

James River

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Bluegill

Lake Izac

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Redear sunfish

Fawn Lake

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Bluegill

Lake Barton

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Bluegill

Lake Barton

length · weight

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Greengill hybrid

Lake Orange

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Green sunfish

Lake Barton

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Regulations for Sunfish in Virginia

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 Bluegill as of April 6th, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.

Bluegill

Seasons

Open

Bag limit

50

Aggregate

50

No statewide length limit. The sunfish aggregate limit excludes Crappie, Rock Bass (redeye), and Roanoke Bass.

No daily bag limit in the following waters: Lake Gaston and Buggs Island Lake/Kerr Reservoir including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Difficult Creek, Char- lotte County; and the Dan River and its tributaries to the Banister River, Halifax County; and that portion of the New River from the VA–NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little rivers in Grayson County.

For more information, see Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

Banded Sunfish, Bluegill, Bluespotted Sunfish, Dollar Sunfish, Flier, Green Sunfish, Longear Sunfish, Mud Sunfish, Orangespotted Sunfish, Redbreast Sunfish, Redear Sunfish, Redspotted Sunfish, Rock Bass, Shadow Bass, Warmouth

Regulations for

38°00′12.4″N 79°25′15.3″W
Regulations in the map
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