Ararat River
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Trout water; 5 stockings on the 2026 record, spread March to November. The most-stocked water on the Surry County record for 2026. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.
Surry County · North Carolina · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2wk | Trout | catchable | stocked | |
| Apr 15wk | Trout | catchable | stocked | |
| May 11wk | Trout | catchable | stocked | |
| Oct 12wk | Trout | catchable | stocked | |
| Nov 9wk | Trout | catchable | scheduled |
When to fish Ararat River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:59-11:59 am and 10:22 pm-12:22 am | 4:16-5:16 am and 4:33-5:33 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:46 am-12:46 pm | 5:22-6:22 am and 5:00-6:00 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).
What the record actually says
- Stocked 11 days ago (Oct 12)
- Flow 79% of the seasonal median
- Next announced stocking Nov 9
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · North Carolina fishing forecast
Gear for this water
Stocked within the last three weeks: fish are still bunched near the release points and keyed on familiar smells.
For the trout (trout stocked 5 times here in 2026, moving water)
| Small jerkbaits | floating minnows in the 2 to 3 inch class for the deeper bends |
| Waders or wet-wading boots | stocked stream fish stack in the obvious pools; getting to the next one is the edge |
| Light spinning rod | 5 to 6.5 ft light or ultralight; short rods cast under branches |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Fisher River | 8.1 mi | Apr 22 |
| Mitchell River | 12 mi | Sep 28 |
| Little Fisher River | 13 mi | Apr 22 |
| Lovills Creek VA | 14 mi | Apr 13 |
| Lovills Creek | 14 mi | Apr 15 |
Follow Surry County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule