When is blue catfish season in Virginia?

Virginia keeps blue catfish open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.

What is the Virginia bag limit for blue catfish?

The Virginia daily bag limit for blue catfish is 20 / day statewide. No daily limit on the tidal James River (below the fall line to the Hog Point–College Creek line), Lake Gaston, and all other rivers below the fall line (York / Pamunkey / Mattaponi / Rappahannock / tidal Potomac). Buggs Island/Kerr Reservoir + Staunton (Roanoke) + Dan tributaries: 20 / day.. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size blue catfish can you keep in Virginia?

The Virginia size rule for blue catfish is No statewide length limit. Only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches on the tidal James River, Lake Gaston, and Buggs Island/Kerr Reservoir — a trophy-protection cap within otherwise-liberalized invasive harvest.. Trophy rule: Blue catfish are an introduced invasive in the tidal Chesapeake tributaries (James, York, Pamunkey, Mattaponi, Rappahannock, Potomac). VDWR + VMRC liberalized harvest — no daily limit below the fall line — to suppress the population, while the '1 fish over 32 inches' cap on the tidal James, Lake Gaston, and Buggs Island/Kerr preserves the trophy class. The tidal James routinely yields blue catfish over 80 lb..

Do you need a license to fish for blue catfish in Virginia?

Yes. Virginia requires a valid fishing license to fish for blue catfish, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Virginia license — compare resident and non-resident Virginia fees on the state regulations page below.

Are there gear restrictions for blue catfish in Virginia?

Yes. In Virginia, blue catfish fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trotlines, juglines, and setlines permitted with proper labeling per VDWR rules; Tidal James / York / Rappahannock below the fall line: no daily limit to encourage removal of invasive blue catfish; VMRC Saltwater Fishing Licence required where blue catfish are taken in tidal/coastal waters below the fall line; VDWR Freshwater Licence above the fall line; Freshwater Fishing Licence (VDWR) required ages 16+ (resident annual $23 / non-resident annual $47).

Do specific Virginia waters have different blue catfish rules?

Yes. 5 named Virginia waters carry rules that override the statewide blue catfish regulation, including Tidal James River, Lake Gaston (VA/NC boundary, Roanoke River), Buggs Island Lake, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

Virginia Blue catfish 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Ictalurus furcatus

Last updated May 30, 2026

Blue catfish are not native to Virginia's Atlantic-slope rivers — VDWR stocked them into the tidal James, Rappahannock, and York River systems in the 1970s and 1980s as a sport fishery, and the population exploded into one of the largest invasive freshwater fisheries on the East Coast. The tidal James (below the fall line at Richmond) now routinely produces blue catfish over 80 pounds and is a recurring trophy-catfish tournament destination, while the Pamunkey + Mattaponi (York system) and the tidal Rappahannock + Potomac hold dense populations that VDWR and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission actively encourage anglers to harvest because the predator is displacing native shad, herring, and blue crab. To square invasive suppression with the trophy fishery anglers travel for, Virginia removed the daily limit entirely on the tidal James, Lake Gaston, and all rivers below the fall line, while keeping a single 'one fish over 32 inches per day' cap on the tidal James, Lake Gaston, and Buggs Island/Kerr Reservoir so the giant breeders stay in the water. Statewide (above the fall line and on lakes not otherwise listed) the limit is 20 per day with no length limit.

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Season

Open year-round Open year-round statewide. 20 / day with no length limit on most waters; no daily limit on the tidal James River, Lake Gaston, and all rivers below the fall line; only 1 fish over 32 inches per day on the tidal James, Lake Gaston, and Buggs Island/Kerr.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 20 / day statewide. No daily limit on the tidal James River (below the fall line to the Hog Point–College Creek line), Lake Gaston, and all other rivers below the fall line (York / Pamunkey / Mattaponi / Rappahannock / tidal Potomac). Buggs Island/Kerr Reservoir + Staunton (Roanoke) + Dan tributaries: 20 / day.

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No statewide length limit. Only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches on the tidal James River, Lake Gaston, and Buggs Island/Kerr Reservoir — a trophy-protection cap within otherwise-liberalized invasive harvest.
Trophy rule: Blue catfish are an introduced invasive in the tidal Chesapeake tributaries (James, York, Pamunkey, Mattaponi, Rappahannock, Potomac). VDWR + VMRC liberalized harvest — no daily limit below the fall line — to suppress the population, while the '1 fish over 32 inches' cap on the tidal James, Lake Gaston, and Buggs Island/Kerr preserves the trophy class. The tidal James routinely yields blue catfish over 80 lb.

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; trotlines, juglines, and setlines permitted with proper labeling per VDWR rules
Tidal James / York / Rappahannock below the fall line: no daily limit to encourage removal of invasive blue catfish
VMRC Saltwater Fishing Licence required where blue catfish are taken in tidal/coastal waters below the fall line; VDWR Freshwater Licence above the fall line
Freshwater Fishing Licence (VDWR) required ages 16+ (resident annual $23 / non-resident annual $47)

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Virginia waters:

James River (tidal, Richmond to mouth)
No daily limit, except only 1 blue catfish per day over 32 in; premier invasive trophy blue catfish fishery (fish over 80 lb)
Lake Gaston (VA/NC boundary, Roanoke River)
No daily limit, except only 1 blue catfish per day over 32 in
Buggs Island Lake
20 / day, except only 1 blue catfish per day over 32 in; includes the Staunton (Roanoke) + Dan tributaries
Rappahannock River + York River system (Pamunkey + Mattaponi)
No daily limit (all rivers below the fall line other than the tidal James); invasive-harvest liberalization, no 32-in cap
South Holston River + Tennessee border tributaries
All catfish 20 / day, only 1 catfish per day over 34 in

Official source

Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (freshwater) + Virginia Marine Resources Commission (saltwater) publishes the authoritative 2026 Virginiafishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.

The blue catfish rules on this page are sourced from Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (freshwater) + Virginia Marine Resources Commission (saltwater)'s official blue catfish regulation page.

Visit official Virginia fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Blue catfish closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources's emergency-order feed — check it before any Virginia trip during the active season.

Frequently asked questions

When is blue catfish season in Virginia?: Virginia keeps blue catfish open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.
What is the Virginia bag limit for blue catfish?: The Virginia daily bag limit for blue catfish is 20 / day statewide. No daily limit on the tidal James River (below the fall line to the Hog Point–College Creek line), Lake Gaston, and all other rivers below the fall line (York / Pamunkey / Mattaponi / Rappahannock / tidal Potomac). Buggs Island/Kerr Reservoir + Staunton (Roanoke) + Dan tributaries: 20 / day.. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size blue catfish can you keep in Virginia?: The Virginia size rule for blue catfish is No statewide length limit. Only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches on the tidal James River, Lake Gaston, and Buggs Island/Kerr Reservoir — a trophy-protection cap within otherwise-liberalized invasive harvest.. Trophy rule: Blue catfish are an introduced invasive in the tidal Chesapeake tributaries (James, York, Pamunkey, Mattaponi, Rappahannock, Potomac). VDWR + VMRC liberalized harvest — no daily limit below the fall line — to suppress the population, while the '1 fish over 32 inches' cap on the tidal James, Lake Gaston, and Buggs Island/Kerr preserves the trophy class. The tidal James routinely yields blue catfish over 80 lb..
Do you need a license to fish for blue catfish in Virginia?: Yes. Virginia requires a valid fishing license to fish for blue catfish, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Virginia license — compare resident and non-resident Virginia fees on the state regulations page below.
Are there gear restrictions for blue catfish in Virginia?: Yes. In Virginia, blue catfish fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trotlines, juglines, and setlines permitted with proper labeling per VDWR rules; Tidal James / York / Rappahannock below the fall line: no daily limit to encourage removal of invasive blue catfish; VMRC Saltwater Fishing Licence required where blue catfish are taken in tidal/coastal waters below the fall line; VDWR Freshwater Licence above the fall line; Freshwater Fishing Licence (VDWR) required ages 16+ (resident annual $23 / non-resident annual $47).
Do specific Virginia waters have different blue catfish rules?: Yes. 5 named Virginia waters carry rules that override the statewide blue catfish regulation, including Tidal James River, Lake Gaston (VA/NC boundary, Roanoke River), Buggs Island Lake, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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