Shenandoah River conditions

Water flow: Average flow

Visibility: 50 inches

Water temperature at mid-day: 35 Degrees F

Water condition: Clear

Best time of day to fish: All Day

Best stretch: The Headwaters are a bit more stained due to flashy afternoon thunderstorms in the area. Clearer waters can be found from Luray downstream

Best access point: All access points are through the VDGIF designated public boat launches. All boat launches are currently clean and manageable.

Fly fishing hatches in order of importance:

No more major hatches are producing topwater or aggressive feeding activity.

Fish species: Smallmouth Bass, Carp, Musky, Largemouth, Redbreast Sunfish, Rock Bass

Fishing season: March-September for Smallmouth, Carp, and Largemouth, Year-Round Musky

Nearest airport: Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport

"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:

The South Fork of the Shenandoah is one of Virginia's premier smallmouth bass fisheries. This river is very tame with rapids rarely hitting class II or even III. Most of the South Fork can be floated in a tube or canoe. Wading is difficult as there are very deep holes along the river and the only public access is at the VDGIF boat landings. Smallmouth Bass fishing is outstanding from March through September.

The South Fork also holds some very big largemouth bass, carp, and musky. This is truly one of Virginia's most diverse warm water fisheries. Our shop is located 15 miles from the South Fork and you can find one of our boats on it every day in Give us a call any time for more details!

A few musky follows and sightings early this week. The smallmouth bass fishing is pretty good for winter conditions and we are prepping for an epic season in just a few months!

Be prepared for more wind and some rain this week! More seasonable weather returns this weekend. We are hoping for quite a bit of rain this week as water levels are low everywhere. Detailed Forecast TonightScattered sprinkles before 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight. TuesdayShowers likely, mainly after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 65. Light southwest wind becoming south 8 to 13 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Tuesday NightShowers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 7pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 7pm. Cloudy, with a low around 56. South wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. WednesdayA chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds. High near 75. Breezy, with a southwest wind 14 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Wednesday NightA chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. West wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. ThursdaySunny, with a high near 50. Thursday NightMostly clear, with a low around 30. FridayPartly sunny, with a high near 42. Friday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 23. SaturdayMostly sunny, with a high near 51. Saturday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 34. SundayMostly sunny, with a high near 63. Sunday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 41. MondayA chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Chance of precipitation is 30%.