Last year, fishing within Shenandoah National Park was verboten from the beginning of August through the beginning of November. Similar bans have been enacted over the past decades. While brook trout populations generally manage to endure hot, dry conditions, it is prudent for such a well-visited area to limit fishing. Because by limiting fishing, they’re limiting stressors on already stressed fish.
While this can be discouraging for a few reasons, there is little reason to despair.
First, this is not the end. Once more, Shenandoah has put restrictions in before. There have been worse conditions (including prolonged freezes, hurricanes, and wildfires). These creatures and their habitats are resilient.
Second, if not fishing is what has you bothered, remember that there are options. The region is littered with bass rivers, catfish ponds, and steadily cool spring creeks rife with trout. The answer to the fishing question isn’t no. It is here, not now.
Check out the National Park Service press release below:
Effective immediately, Shenandoah National Park’s streams and rivers are closed to fishing due to low flows and high water temperatures.
Dry conditions have led to extremely low stream flows throughout the park, including some river sections that are completely dry. Hot weather has also led to high water temperatures. Despite some rain on Wednesday, June 26, river flows remain low and are expected to continue dropping with continued hot, dry weather.
Low flows and high temperatures create extremely stressful conditions for fish, and dissolved oxygen can decline to fatal conditions. The additional stress of angling during these conditions could harm the native brook trout populations, which are already low across much of the park. This closure is for all streams within park boundaries including both open-to-harvest and catch-and-release waters. The closure will be lifted when stream conditions improve. Stream flows are expected to remain low until significant precipitation occurs across the area.
Although it has been rare for the park to close fishing in the past few decades, it was done in response to drought conditions in 2021 and 2023.
Keep track of all National Park Service news, including when the park is open for fishing again, here.