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New River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

One of the world’s oldest rivers, and one of America’s best smallmouth floats: the New runs north through Appalachia full of bronze.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
965 cfs
Air / High
94 / 94 F
Wind
NNW 6 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 03171000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

New River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The river is running 965 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings cloud cover, wind NNW around 6 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 94. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

Tomorrow: Similar at 90 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from New River at Radford.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 03171000.

1,9343,7335,531965 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp94 F
High / Low94 / 67 F
WindNNW 6-10 mph
Pressure1013.3 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 8%
Sunrise / Sunset06:55 / 19:46
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 94/67 F, wind 18 mph, rain 8%

Fair or better. A 18 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on New River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Best: Sep-Nov

The fish of ten thousand casts. Weed edges, rock bars and big-water structure. Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

When to come: the New River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks New River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 94 F, wind to 4 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 92 F, wind to 5 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 89 F, wind to 6 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Virginia requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Virginia license. Special smallmouth slot limits apply on parts of the New: check current DWR regulations. Muskie minimum length rules apply.

Access

New River Trail State Park accesses, Claytor Lake State Park, Fries, Allisonia, Whitethorne and Radford ramps.

About this water

A north-flowing ancient river through southwest Virginia, from the North Carolina line to West Virginia: premier smallmouth and muskie water.

Fishing New River: the full guide

Ancient water

The New River flows north out of North Carolina through Virginia into West Virginia, and geologists rank it among the oldest rivers on earth. For anglers it is simply one of the finest smallmouth fisheries in the East: 160 Virginia miles of ledge rock, riffles and long pools holding bronzebacks in remarkable numbers, plus muskie that reach fifty inches, walleye, and rock bass and redbreast sunfish on every cast when you want them.

Smallmouth on the ledges

The New’s geology defines its fishing: horizontal ledges create current breaks and ambush points along the entire river. Work topwater at dawn over the shallow ledges, then tubes, Ned rigs and crayfish patterns through the deeper slots as the sun climbs. Summer is the prime season: wade the riffles or float the classic runs. Fish average 10-14 inches with genuine four-pounders in the deeper holes below the rapids.

Muskie and walleye

Virginia’s New River muskie fishery is legitimate and growing: big rubber baits and glide baits worked along the deep ledges and grass edges from fall through spring move fish that will change your day. Walleye run the river in late winter and early spring: jigs and minnows in the deeper pools below Claytor Lake and near the Fries dam produce the year’s best eating fish.

Floating the New

The river fishes best from a raft, canoe or kayak: classic day floats run Fries to Byllesby, Allisonia to Claytor Lake, and the Radford-to-Whitethorne stretch. Wading access is generous at bridges, state park sites and the New River Trail State Park, which parallels 57 miles of river on an old rail grade. Watch flows: the Radford gauge above 3,000 cfs pushes hard, and summer’s 800-1,500 cfs is ideal.

Common questions

When is the smallmouth fishing best?

June through September: warm water, low flows and aggressive fish. Fall produces bigger average size as they feed heavily.

Is the muskie fishery real?

Yes: Virginia manages the New for trophy muskie and fifty-inch fish are caught every season, mostly by dedicated specialists in cold months.

Do I need a boat?

Wading works at many access points, but floating covers the ledges properly. Canoes and kayaks handle most stretches; check rapids ratings first.

Is fishing good at New River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Claytor Lake4 miPhilpott Lake38 miBluestone Lake40 miGreenbrier River43 miSmith Mountain Lake45 miNew River Gorge61 mi
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