BirdTroutOpen the map Is the Smith River good for rainbow trout?
Yes. VDWR's trout-water designation on the Smith River names rainbow trout as a species it is managed for, and the river's measured July mean of 50.5 °F sits inside the 55–65 °F band this fish holds in. Across 3 gauged stretches the July mean runs 49.9–56.0 °F, so the answer changes with where you stand on it. Fish of 7–14 inches are what Virginia reports as typical.
What the state's records say
- Species
- Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
- In Virginia
- introduced
- Record here
- named in VDWR's trout-water designation for this reach — a management record, not a catch record
- Holds in
- 55–65 °F, stops feeding above 75 °F
- Typical
- 7–14 inches
- Spawns
- Spring — March into May — on gravel, which is what separates it from the two autumn spawners above.
Introduced. Wild populations sit in the steeper, faster mountain water, and stocked fish carry most of the put-and-take season.
Is the water cold enough
Measured, not modelled: 3 gauged stretches of this river average 50.5 °F in July (49.9–56.0 °F across them), against the 55–65 °F this fish holds in and the 75 °F it stops feeding at.
| Gauge | Now | July mean |
|---|---|---|
| Philpott | 44.8 °F | 49.9 °F |
What you may keep
Virginia DWR classifies this water as Class II, Class III, Class V. The management tier on those reaches is stocked holdover, wild. Species Virginia DWR records in the classified water: brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout. This is a designation of the fishery and not the season and creel rules.
VDWR trout waters and stocking → Virginia season and creel rules →
What to fish for it
- Little Black Stonefly — January–April, #16–18
- Little Brown Stonefly — February–April, #12–16
- Blue-Winged Olive — March–May and September–November, #16–22
- Quill Gordon — March–April, #12–14
- Blackfly — April–June, #18–22
- Blue Quill — April–May, #16–18
- Cranefly — April–June and September–October, #6–10
- Grannom — April–May, #14–16
The insects recorded from this river's region, earliest first. The full calendar →
More about Smith River
Smith River — live water temperature, regulations and access
- Is the Smith River good for brook trout?
- Is the Smith River good for brown trout?
- When to fish the Smith River, Virginia
- Smith River fishing report
- Smith River fishing regulations