Tomorrow, 1 pm–6 pmLargemouth bass
The bite peaks at 78.
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
rising · +150% in 24 h
Sunset 5:11 pm
No rain expected
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°.
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–25 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Only 2 of the 5 bass may be under 14".
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Kerr Reservoir and Smith Mountain Lake
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Mar–Nov. More on largemouth bass
No water reading here right now. Striped bass bite in 50–72° water, best near 62°.
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 5–35 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Oct 1–May 31: 2 a day combined, only fish from 20 to 26" may be kept. Jun 1–Sep 30: 4 a day, no length limit.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Buggs Island Lake / Kerr Reservoir
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov. More on striped bass
No water reading here right now. Crappie bite in 50–80° water, best near 65°.
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–20 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. No crappie under 9"; 25 a day.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Kerr Reservoir
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°.
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. 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. Blue catfish bite in 55–85° water, best near 72°.
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 10–60 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. 20 a day, but only 1 blue catfish a day longer than 32".
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Kerr Reservoir
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Year-round. More on blue catfish
No water reading here right now. Common carp bite in 52–86° water, best near 72°.
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. 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
Virginia's largest lake, a 50,000-acre Roanoke River reservoir on the North Carolina line — largemouth bass, striped bass, crappie, and trophy catfish.
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) 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/
Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, and 2 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 Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) 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.
Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.
Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) freshwater regulations apply at Kerr Lake (Buggs Island). 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. Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
