Cowpasture River
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Brown trout, rainbow trout, and 2 other species water, stocked 11 times in 2026, spread January to October. One of 6 stocked waters on the Bath County record. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.
Bath County · Virginia · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Brown trout
Rainbow trout
Tiger trout
Brook trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 6 | Brown trout | catchable | completed | |
| Feb 23 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| Mar 12 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| Mar 12 | Brown trout | catchable | completed | |
| Mar 12 | Brook trout | catchable | completed | |
| Apr 24 | Brown trout | catchable | completed | |
| Apr 24 | Tiger trout | catchable | completed | |
| May 26 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| May 26 | Brown trout | catchable | completed | |
| May 26 | Tiger trout | catchable | completed | |
| Oct 20 | Brown trout | catchable | completed |
When to fish Cowpasture River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:56-11:56 am and 10:19 pm-12:19 am | 4:13-5:13 am and 4:30-5:30 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:42 am-12:42 pm | 5:19-6:19 am and 4:56-5:56 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 3 days ago (Oct 20)
- Flow 127% of the seasonal median
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Virginia 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 (brown 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wilson Creek (Lower) | 2.4 mi | Mar 9 |
| Clifton Forge Reservoir | 5.8 mi | Apr 30 |
| Pads Creek | 6.1 mi | May 4 |
| Douthat Lake (Only) | 8.5 mi | Apr 9 |
| Potts Creek | 12 mi | May 22 |
Follow Bath County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule