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Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
Buggs Island Lake, also known as John H. Kerr Reservoir, is Virginia's largest lake with over 800 miles of shoreline and 50,000 acres of freshwater. The dam was built from 1947 through 1952 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers a few hundred feet upstream from an island belonging to the descendants of Samuel Bugg, and was known as the Bugg Island Project. Some of the best freshwater fishing in Virginia can be found on this lake.
The world record Blue Catfish was caught Saturday night June 18th, 2011 weighing 143 pounds. Like so many lakes in the region, Buggs Island is also known for Bass. The Bass population has a lot of success breeding in Buggs Island, which means anglers can commonly reel in specimens that are between 2 and 4 pounds. The best spots for Bass fishing are at the upper end of the lake. However, populations can also be quite abundant near the creek outlets.
There is also a growing population of Striped Bass. This species is not as prolific as its Largemouth relatives, but it is still a common catch. In the summer, when the fish are spawning, the populations tend to move to the north. However, in the cooler months, the fish may be spread out more to the south end of the lake.
Buggs Island fishing is also popular for Crappie. The Crappie population is best during the winter and early spring. However, you are likely to hook Crappie all throughout the year thanks to the strong local breeding. If you give Buggs Island fishing a go, you might also catch fish like White Bass, White Perch, Channel Catfish and Blue Catfish.
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Based on historical data for fishing {{ locationText }}, you should target one of the following species for this time of year:
*** PLEASE NOTE ***
Please check local, state/province, and federal laws before fishing for any species found on this site. All data is based on historical data found for this area, and in some cases as far back as the year 1600.
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Fishing Report – May 28 2025 Water Level: 302.44 | Water Temperature: 61.9˚ Weather: 56˚ | Rain Showers | Winds: 5 mph 1. Largemouth Bass: Bass are active in the buckbrush and willow flats in 3-7 feet of
Fishing Report – May 21 2025 Water Level: 302.43 | Water Temperature: 60.8˚ Weather: 62˚ | Showers And Thunderstorms | Winds: 7 mph 1. Striped Bass: Try trolling bucktails and Redfins 10-15 feet deep alon
Fishing Report – May 14 2025 Water Level: 300.49 | Water Temperature: 58.8˚ Weather: 60˚ | Patchy Fog | Winds: 1 mph 1. Largemouth Bass: Bass are active in shallow to moderate depths of 3-8 feet focusing
Fishing Report – May 7 2025 Water Level: 300.32 | Water Temperature: 58.6˚ Weather: 78˚ | Mostly Sunny | Winds: 5 mph 1. Largemouth Bass: Bass are active in the buckbrush and willow thickets along points
Fishing Report – April 30 2025 Water Level: 300.38 | Water Temperature: 57.9˚ Weather: 86˚ | Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | Winds: 8 mph 1. Largemouth Bass: Bass are transitioning into
Fishing Report – April 2 2025 Water Level: 300.8 | Water Temperature: 52.2˚ Weather: 66˚ | Mostly Cloudy | Winds: 3 to 9 mph 1. Bass: Post-spawn bass are starting to move into the shallows and around main
Fishing Report – March 26 2025 Water Level: 300.84 | Water Temperature: 49.5˚ Weather: 62˚ | Sunny | Winds: 6 to 14 mph 1. Largemouth Bass: As water temperatures hover around 50˚ look for bass to start movi
Fishing Report – March 19 2025 Water Level: 301.17 | Water Temperature: 47.3˚ Weather: 77˚ | Mostly Sunny | Winds: 1 to 8 mph 1. Black Bass: With the warming trend and stable water levels bass are beginning
Fishing Report – March 12 2025 Water Level: 301.56 | Water Temperature: 45.3˚ Weather: 78˚ | Sunny | Winds: 1 to 5 mph 1. bass: Early spring bass are moving into shallow points and coves with some fish alre
Fishing Report – March 5 2025 Water Level: 301.7 | Water Temperature: 45.7˚ Weather: 67˚ | Showers And Thunderstorms | Winds: 14 to 20 mph 1. Largemouth bass: Expect slow but steady activity on main lake p
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