Today 5 pm to Monday 4 amLargemouth bass
The bite peaks at 68.
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
Right now
Largemouth bass range 55–85°
From the northwest
Sunset 5:03 pm
1% chance of rain
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Waning crescent
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Virginia non-tidal (VDWR) regulations for these waters.
No water reading here right now. Largemouth bass bite in 55–85° water, best near 72°.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–25 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. A department-owned lake: rules posted at the lake are in effect on top of the statewide limits.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Burke Lake
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Mar–Nov. More on largemouth bass
No water reading here right now. Crappie bite in 50–80° water, best near 65°.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–20 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Virginia statewide: 25 crappie a day combined, no length limit. Exceptions include a 9" minimum on Kerr Reservoir and no daily limit on Lake Gaston.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Virginia non-tidal (VDWR)
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Mar–Jun, Oct–Nov. More on crappie
No water reading here right now. Channel catfish bite in 60–85° water, best near 75°.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 5–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Virginia statewide: channel, white and flathead catfish 20 a day, no length limit. No daily limit in rivers below the fall line.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Virginia non-tidal (VDWR)
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Apr–Nov. More on channel catfish
No water reading here right now. Muskellunge bite in 55–78° water, best near 68°.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 10–40 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Virginia statewide: 1 a day, 40" minimum. On the New River from Claytor Dam to the West Virginia line, no muskie 40–48" may be kept Jun 1 to the last day of February, and none under 48" Mar 1–May 31.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Virginia non-tidal (VDWR)
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: May–Jul, Sep–Nov. More on muskellunge
No water reading here right now. Chain pickerel bite in 45–80° water, best near 60°.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–15 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Virginia statewide: 5 a day (chain pickerel and northern pike), no length limit. No daily limit on Lake Gaston and Kerr Reservoir.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Virginia non-tidal (VDWR)
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Oct–Apr. More on chain pickerel
No water reading here right now. Yellow perch bite in 45–70° water, best near 58°.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 5–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Virginia statewide: no daily or length limit for yellow or white perch (Lake Moomaw: 10 a day).
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Virginia non-tidal (VDWR)
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Feb–Apr, Oct–Dec. More on yellow perch
No water reading here right now. Common carp bite in 52–86° water, best near 72°.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Common carp is here Apr–Oct. Holds 1–15 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Virginia inland waters: carp may be possessed in unlimited numbers for personal use.
Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Virginia non-tidal (VDWR)
Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Apr–Oct. More on common carp
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Virginia DWR has the state’s fishing pages.
Licenses and rules: VA DWR/VMRC · fish-consumption advisory
218-acre Fairfax County lake stocked annually with muskellunge (since 1966 at ~2 fish per acre), walleye, and channel catfish. VA DWR manages it as a trophy muskie fishery. Largemouth bass and crappie round out the warmwater fishery.
No private gas-powered boats — rental rowboats, canoes, paddleboats, and electric-motor boats only. Fee for parking and boat rentals. Anglers 16+ need a Virginia freshwater fishing license.
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Burke Lake Park you need a Virginia freshwater fishing license issued by DWR (and a separate trout license for designated stocked trout waters October 1 through June 15). See the agency's current rules: https://dwr.virginia.gov/fishing/regulations/licenses/
Burke Lake Park is listed on this site for 7 commonly-targeted species: Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge, and 3 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Burke Lake Park against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
Burke Lake Park has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. No private gas-powered boats — rental rowboats, canoes, paddleboats, and electric-motor boats only. Fee for parking and boat rentals. Anglers 16+ need a Virginia freshwater fishing license.
Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) freshwater regulations apply at Burke Lake Park. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
No. Burke Lake Park is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.
No private gas-powered boats — rental rowboats, canoes, paddleboats, and electric-motor boats only. Fee for parking and boat rentals. Anglers 16+ need a Virginia freshwater fishing license.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
