South Fork Holston River (Lower)
Rainbow trout and brown trout water; 13 stockings on the 2026 record.
Smyth County · Virginia · see it on the national map
Water temp 80 °F at N F HOLSTON RIVER NEAR GATE CITY, VA, 8 km away USGS site 03490000 · 2026-08-28 18:15
13
stockings 2026
May 26
last stocked
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
Brook trout
Tiger trout
Stocking record 2026
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 12 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| Feb 20 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| Mar 3 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| Mar 6 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| Mar 19 | Brown trout | catchable | completed | |
| Mar 25 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| Apr 9 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| Apr 10 | Brook trout | catchable | completed | |
| Apr 10 | Tiger trout | catchable | completed | |
| Apr 22 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| Apr 24 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| May 22 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed | |
| May 26 | Rainbow trout | catchable | completed |
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 10 times here in 2026, moving water)
| Inline spinners | 1/16 to 1/8 oz silver or gold; swing them across the current seams |
| Drifted bait | single salmon egg or half a crawler under light split shot, rolled along the bottom |
| Small jerkbaits | floating minnows in the 2 to 3 inch class for the deeper bends |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Big Moccasin Creek | 5.7 mi | Apr 2 |
| Alexander Creek TN | 6.2 mi | Apr 19 |
| Stock Creek | 12 mi | May 6 |
| Watauga River NC | 13 mi | May 4 |
| Big Creek TN | 21 mi | Apr 19 |
Records from Virginia DWR
(official page). Placement from USGS GNIS. Schedules change without notice.
Seasons, limits, and licenses:
Virginia fishing
regulations.