RURAL RETREAT, Va. (WFXR) — The day started out frigid with temperatures hovering right around 11 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are going to fish in brutal conditions like that, you may as well up your chances of success, if you can.
One way to do that is to fish private water. You will pay a fee, but you will fish on small stretches of streams and smaller lakes that are managed for harvest and stocked with larger fish.
While Virginia has many quality public fishing options in the winter, especially for trout, private water can sometimes take the guesswork out of finding fish. One such place is Cedar Springs Sportsmans Lodge near Rural Retreat.
The lodge owners professionally manage a two mile stretch of Cripple Creek. The stream holds a natural reproducing population of rainbow trout that is supplemented with frequent stockings of larger fish in the two to 10 pound range.
“If you’re down here fishing, fish with your go-tos,” said Jerry Hall of the Limit Six Trout Team. “It’s a great place. You’re fishing a spring.”
While fishing public waters at this time of year can be successful, private water can give you an edge because they often provide a great number of fish in a designated area. Virginia private water also draws tourists. On the day we were there, there were groups of anglers from Virginia, Georgia, and South Carolina.
“We got out this morning and caught my limit,” said Brandon Hill who came all the way from Athens, Georgia to fish at Cedar Springs. “That’s all you can ask for.”