Pads Creek
Fishing and stocking
Rainbow trout, brown trout, and brook trout water, stocked 7 times in 2026, monthly February through May, heaviest in March. One of 6 stocked waters on the Bath County record.
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
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
Brook trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 23 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| Mar 2 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| Mar 30 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| Mar 30 | Brook trout | catchable | completed | |
| Apr 13 | Brown trout | catchable | completed | |
| May 4 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| May 4 | Brown trout | catchable | completed |
When to fish Pads Creek
| 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 4:29-5:29 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:42 am-12:42 pm | 5:19-6:19 am and 4:55-5:55 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
- Last stocked May 4
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Virginia fishing forecast
Gear for this water
It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.
For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 4 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Douthat Lake (Only) | 4.6 mi | Apr 9 |
| Wilson Creek (Lower) | 5.1 mi | Mar 9 |
| Clifton Forge Reservoir | 6.0 mi | Apr 30 |
| Cowpasture River | 6.1 mi | Oct 20 |
| Jackson River (Hidden Valley) | 6.1 mi | Oct 8 |
Follow Bath County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule