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Occoquan Reservoir Fishing Report

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

Northern Virginia’s bass water: Occoquan holds largemouth, crappie and catfish twenty minutes from the Beltway.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Flow
33 cfs
Air / High
93 / 93 F
Wind
NW 8 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01654000, 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 early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Occoquan Reservoir serves up more heat: the productive hours are the dim ones. The river is running 33 cfs, on the rise. Today brings cloud cover, wind NW around 8 mph, rising pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 93. Water sits around 84 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: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassFair

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 84 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 Accotink Creek near Annandale.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01654000.

12836460033 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp93 F
High / Low93 / 70 F
WindNW 8-16 mph
Pressure1012.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain82% cloud, 64%
Sunrise / Sunset06:41 / 19:35
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 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 · Showers, 93/70 F, wind 16 mph, rain 64%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

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

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

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. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Occoquan Reservoir 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
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 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 Occoquan Reservoir 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 early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 92 F, wind to 7 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at excellent. High of 93 F, wind to 8 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 96 F, wind to 7 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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. Bass and crappie limits per current DWR regulations; horsepower restrictions apply on the reservoir.

Access

Fountainhead Regional Park and Bull Run Marina ramps, rentals and shoreline access.

About this water

A 1,700-acre water-supply reservoir on the Occoquan River, Fairfax and Prince William counties, Virginia.

Fishing Occoquan Reservoir: the full guide

A water-supply lake

Occoquan Reservoir stretches about 1,700 acres along the Occoquan River in Fairfax and Prince William counties, supplying drinking water to northern Virginia and providing the region’s most accessible bass fishing. It is narrow, wooded and surprisingly quiet given the surrounding development, with largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, sunfish and a modest walleye and striper presence.

Bass in a narrow lake

The reservoir fishes like a flooded river: points, laydowns, docks and the old channel hold fish. Largemouth take jigs, spinnerbaits and plastics through the seasons, with spring pushing them into the coves and creek arms. Summer sends them to shade and the deeper channel edges, and fall brings a strong shad-chasing bite in the upper reaches.

Crappie and catfish

Crappie hold the brush, docks and standing timber, best in spring and again in fall. Blue and channel catfish work the deeper channel and flats, with the blues reaching substantial size: cut bait fished on the bottom produces year-round. Sunfish fill the shallows for families and light-tackle anglers.

Fairfax-area logistics

Fountainhead Regional Park and Bull Run Marina provide ramps, rentals and shoreline access, with horsepower restrictions in place to protect the water supply. The parks also offer trails and picnic areas. Summer weekends draw paddlers and hikers. Interstate 95 and the Beltway put the reservoir within a short drive of most of northern Virginia.

Common questions

Is it crowded?

Less than you would expect: horsepower limits and park-managed access keep boat traffic modest even on summer weekends.

How big do the catfish get?

Blue catfish reach substantial size in the deeper channel, taken on cut bait fished on the bottom.

Where do I start for bass?

The laydowns and points in the upper arms, especially in spring when fish move into the creek mouths.

Is fishing good at Occoquan Reservoir 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 early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Nearby waters

Rappahannock River29 miPatuxent River38 miPotomac River40 miChesapeake Bay (Annapolis)49 miShenandoah River49 miLake Anna53 mi
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