Recreational anglers may find success at a public pier or pond
by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi –
Landlocked but love to fish?
No boat, no private dock, no problem. The Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula have dozens of options for folks who can’t get on the water but long to spin a fish tale.
In fact, there are at least eight public fishing piers and three public freshwater fishing ponds in the area, not to mention the numerous beaches where fishermen can cast.
Tytenesha Lee of Lancaster County and her family were homebound during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when they decided to enjoy a day of fishing. They first headed to Newport News where they found one pier charging a fee and another where the fish weren’t biting. They headed back home for an afternoon at Belle Isle State Park, where they not only caught fish but enjoyed a picnic.
“The kids had a ball,” said Lee who typically fishes off a private dock but one that’s not big enough for the whole family. “It was their first time fishing and they just had the best time.”
Lee said along with battling and bringing in a skate, they caught spot and croaker, enough to keep.
Bottom fishing is ideal for novice anglers, and rods and reels for catching small fish like spot and trout are relatively inexpensive.
According to Belle Isle State Park manager Katie Shepard, the fishing pier is a popular attraction at the park, which has some 40,000 visitors per year. Although many of the park activities were halted or limited during the height of the pandemic, fishing was available when the park was open.
“A lot of our guests love the fishing pier,” said Shepard. “Both the folks that just come for the day and the overnight visitors use it.”
In fact, public fishing piers in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula are very popular. Among the most used are the piers in Yorktown, Gloucester Point and Colonial Beach, where anglers can fish day or night. Just a peek over the Coleman Bridge which spans the York River shows dozens of fishermen scattered across the piers at all hours.
In Northumberland County, the Glebe Point Bridge over the Great Wicomico also hovers over a county-owned pier.
Corneisha Kelly and her family were there on a hot afternoon a few weeks ago.
“We don’t catch much,” said Kelly. “But we come every now and again ‘cause it’s fun for the kids.”
Concerns over coronavirus may have limited many normal summer activities including parades, festivals, concerts and craft fairs, but fishing was never off limits. So grab a pole, some bait and head to the pier.
Belle Isle State Park fishing pier
A boardwalk winds through the woods to a T-shaped fishing pier on Mulberry Creek, where the water depth at high tide is between five and six feet, according to Shepard.
The fishing pier was dedicated in 2003 following a months-long boardwalk building project by a youth conservation corps.
A fishing license is required to use the pier, which is open from dawn to dusk daily. The park charges a minimal fee to enter, but use of the pier is free.
For the GPS: 1632 Belle Isle Road, Lancaster, VA 22503
Colonial Beach Municipal Pier
Located in the heart of Colonial Beach’s beachfront, the pier jets out into the Potomac River, where anglers can catch everything from spot and croaker to striped bass.
The pier has ample nearby parking and is open 24 hours a day.
A fishing license is required to fish off the T-shaped pier.
For the GPS: Hawthorn Street, Colonial Beach, VA 22443
Glebe Point Fishing Pier
The pier, located below the bridge that spans Route 200 in Glebe Point, is 60 feet with a T-head and additional crabbing deck. This public pier on the Great Wicomico River is maintained by Northumberland County
It is free to fish from the pier but a valid saltwater recreational fishing license is required. Fish species caught from the pier include croaker, spot, sea trout and striped bass.
Open sunrise to sunset.
Directions: Route 1006, off of Jessie Dupont Memorial Highway, at the foot of the Glebe Point Bridge.
Gloucester Point Fishing Pier
In 1998, Gloucester County received a $50,072 grant to expand the pier on the York River at Gloucester Point. The L-head pier was converted to a T-head, by the addition of a new 100-foot section.
There is handicapped parking near the walkway and the new section is ADA compliant.
This pier has no fee and is covered by a blanket pier license sponsored by Gloucester Tourism, so an individual saltwater license is not required.
The pier, operated by Gloucester County Parks, Recreation & Tourism, is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is lighted for night fishing. Anglers report catching croaker, spot, flounder, striped bass, and gray trout from the York River.
For the GPS: 1255 Greate Road, Gloucester Point, VA 23062
Jones Creek Road Fishing Pier
Located on the Rappahannock River in Richmond County, the fishing pier on Jones Creek Road is 105-feet long.
Directions: Closest intersection is Newland Road and Jones Creek Road, Warsaw, VA. From the intersection, take Jones Creek Road for three miles to the boat launch area.
Westmoreland State Park fishing pier
Improvements to the pier were completed in 2001. It is handicap-accessible and open to all park users.
There is a $7 weekday or $10 weekend entrance fee that give access to park, beach, trails and pier.
Croaker, spot, white perch and striped bass are among the species caught bottom fishing on the Potomac River.
Either a Maryland or Virginia saltwater license is required to fish from the pier.
For the GPS: 145 Cliff Road, Montross, VA 22520
Williams Wharf
Williams Wharf in Mathews is a historic boatyard and steamship landing that offers public access to the East River.
The privately-owned waterfront park includes an event pavilion, floating dock and T-head fishing pier. Restroom facilities and parking are available.
Williams Wharf recently had a starring role in the movie “Harriet,” which was released last fall and was based on the life of heroic abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Around 350 cast, film crew, and extras set up camp at Williams Wharf Road for a two day film production.
For the GPS: 1039 Williams Wharf Road, Mathews, VA 23109
Yorktown Fishing Pier
Open 24 hours a day year round, the pier is free and wheelchair accessible, with ample parking nearby. As a bonus, no license is required.
Croaker, flounder, speckled trout, puppy drum and striped bass are among the catches coming out of the York River at Yorktown Beach. The deepest water of the York River is just off the dock
For the GPS: 632-646 Water St, Yorktown, VA 23690
Freshwater Finds
Beaverdam Park’s 635-acre lake is the only public freshwater fishing spot on the Middle Peninsula. Electric motors only on the pond.
The park is open daily but hours vary monthly, typically dawn to dusk.
For the GPS: 8687 Roaring Springs Road, Gloucester, VA 23061
Rock Spring Pond at Westmoreland State Park boasts a variety of fish including catfish, bass, crappie and bream. Power boats are permitted and a boat ramp is available. A nearby boathouse sells gas, ice, bait and other supplies. Paddleboats can be rented at the park from Memorial Day through Labor Day. There is a nominal fee to enter the park for the day.
For the GPS: 145 Cliff Road, Montross, VA 22520
Wilna Pond is part of the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Richmond County.
While the goal of the National Wildlife Refuge is to conserve and protect fish and wildlife and their habitats, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has designated six public uses on national wildlife refuges, which include wildlife observation, interpretation, environmental education, photography, hunting and fishing. The refuge offers all six at the Wilna Unit.
The pond is open daily from sunrise to sunset but there are limitations related to bait and gear used, boat types and what species can be kept. Refer to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and specifically the Wilna Pond section.
Fish species know to be in the pond include largemouth bass, bluegill sunfish, flier, yellow bullhead catfish and American eel.
For the GPS: 336 Wilna Road, Warsaw, VA 22572
Licensing
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, any person over the age of 16 is legally required to purchase and carry a permit for fishing. A full list of requirements and exemptions is available on the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) website. Licenses can be purchased at GoOutdoorsVirginia.com or at many physical locations such as sporting goods stores and at some county clerks’ offices.
A standard 1 year freshwater fishing license for Virginia residents 16 years and older is $23.
A standard 1 year saltwater fishing license is $17.50, and a combination license is $39.50. Short term, nonresidential and specialty licenses can also be purchased. A full list of options and prices are listed on the DGIF website.
