Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Tailwater
Species
Brown trout (wild)
Rainbow trout (wild)
Size
Medium to Large
Location
Central Virginia
Nearest Towns
Roanoke
Hot Springs
Season
Year – round
Access:
Very Limited
Non-Resident License
State of Virginia
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Fly Fishing Gear, Tackle and
Trout Flies
USGS Streamflow Data:
Seasons:
Trout can be caught year-round.
Winter:
Some large rainbows can be caught during late winter that move upstream from Lake Moomaw.
Spring:
Springtime is considered the best time for fly fishing the Jackson River because of the large aquatic insect hatches.
Summer:
The water can become marginal during the hot summer but it is usually fishable.
Fall:
Fall is the best time to hook a large brown trout.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 & 12 ft., 5 or 6X, Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Superb Five or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Lower Jackson River Tailwater Virginia Fishing Report December 20, 2024
The stream is still flowing a little below a normal level and clear. We have been getting good reports from customers – one this past week. Good hatches of Cream Midges, BWOs and Winter stoneflies continue to take place.
Rate: 104 cfs
Level: 8.52 ft
Clarity: clear
Afternoon Water Temperature: 52 (mid to lower)
USGS Real-Time Stream Flow below Gathright Dam
7 Day Weather Forecast:
Recommended Trout Flies:
Midges: Cream and Red (Blood) midges sizes 20/22, larva, pupa and adult. Our larva and pupa midge flies, pre-rigged in tandem, are very popular here. You can fish them under a strike indicator keeping the larva fly near the bottom. https://perfectflystore.com/product/pre-rigged-tandem-midge-larva-pupa-tippet
Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin and Articulated streamers, size 6/4
Black Matuka and Olive Matuka Sculpin, size 4/6
Blue-winged Olives: size 16, nymphs, emergers, duns, spinners
Winter Stoneflies; size 16/18, nymphs and adults
Perfect Flies are designed and tied to to imitate and behave like the natural foods the trout rely on to survive as much as possible. The more your fly looks like and moves through and on the surface of the water like the real things, the higher your odds of success.
Fly Fishing the Lower Jackson River (Tailwater) Virginia The lower Jackson River, a tailwater below Gathright dam, is one of the best trout streams in the state of Virginia. It has a good population of wild rainbow and brown trout. It was stocked prior to 1993 and since has proven it can reproduce plenty of wild trout. The upper section of the Jackson River is covered in another section of the stream guides. Most of this river is not available to the public for fishing. We all know you should never trespass on private property but this situation deserves special attention regarding that. It has a history of some very serious issues regarding trespassing so be certain you are fishing at public access areas. The main area available to the public to fish is just below the Gathright dam. There are five other areas open to the public that provide access to some of the approximate total eighteen mile length of the river. The Jackson River tailwater can be waded in areas during periods of low water but it is best fished from a drift boat. The water from the dam stays cold year-round, averaging in the high fifties to the low sixties. The river holds a good population of aquatic insects and crustaceans as well as plenty of baitfish and sculpin. The stream has didymo present in the section below the dam, so please be sure to take all precautions to control the spread of it. The area just below the dam is usually best fished with small midge and nymph imitations. Long, light leaders and tippets work best for this. During periods of low light levels, streamers often produce. Fly Fishing the Jackson River tailwater can be challenging at times, but fished using the right methods and techniques, it often produces some very large catches. The lower Jackson River offers both wild rainbow and brown trout fly fishing opportunities. The bottom discharge dam usually has a steady flow of water that is cold and clean.There is a wide variety and a diverse population of aquatic invertebrates and forage fish for the trout to feed on. The water temperature stays very cool year-round with average temperature ranging in the low fifties right below the dam, to the low sixties a few miles downstream.Fly fishing the Lower Jackson River tailwater is one of the best opportunities for an angler to catch large, wild trout in the South
Lower Jackson River Fly Fishing Guide: Jackson River trout are wild, stream-bred, hard-fighting, rainbows and brown trout. The cold water comes from the depths of Lake Moomaw at the Garthright Dam. Water releases are usually too big in winter and early spring to fish. They seem to keep it pretty constant after June 1. Check the GSGS website before you go. Flow rates around 280 cfs are perfect for wading. The best way to fish the river is by drift boat, pontoon or a canoe. The water can be very shallow and large drift boats may have problems getting over the bottom. Popular stretches are from Johnson Springs to Smith Bridge, Indian Draft or Petticoat Junction. You can fish from Johnson Springs all the way down to the Mead Westvaco Landing at Covington.You have probably heard of the property and fishing rights controversy. It has been going on a long time and involves “King’s Grant” property rights whereas owners exclude fishing. Some people have King’s Grant rights because they were recognized by a previous court case. We understand that a certain group of property owners are currently suing anglers for fishing between Smith Bridge and Indian Draft. Our suggestions for determining where to fish and where not to fish is to go by the Virginia Department of Game and Fish Website Map. It requires you to respect the “no fishing signs” upstream of Johnson Springs.The best access for wading anglers is immediately below Gathright Dam. This area is about a quarter-mile-long. Most trout caught in this section will be smaller size rainbows but there are a few large ones in the mix. There is also a short section of water you can wade at Johnson Springs.
Lower Jackson River Hatches and Trout Flies: Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing.Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in the Jackson River and in all stages of life that is applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call. We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our custom will use nothing else. 1-800-594-4726.There are several species of aquatic insects present on the Lower Jackson River tailwater but most of them exist in only certain areas and are sporadic hatches. There are a few reliable hatches. Blue-winged Olives are one of the most reliable ones. They are bi-brooded and hatch from the first of March through April and again in late September and October. They are small species, usually no larger than a hook size 18 and mostly size 20’s. The section of the river farther downstream in the wild trout area between Johnson Springs and Petticoat Junction is more like the Jackson River freestone stream. There are some Quill Gordons that hatch in March and April, some Hendricksons that hatch in April, Sulphurs that hatch in June and July and Tricos that hatch in August and September. These are at best off and on and pinpointing a hatch is not easy to do. The discharges of water from the dam seems to vary these population of insects and hatches from year to year. Blue-winged Olives, Sulphurs and Tricos seem to be the most consistent of them. There are several different species of caddisflies that hatch. They start as early as April and last through October, depending on the area and the species of caddisfly. The great majority are net-spinning caddis called Cinnamon Sedges. There are about six species of these. Little Sister caddisflies also are plentiful at times. They hatch mostly during July and August. A large bulk of the food supply consist of scuds. They are plentiful and average a hook size 14 when fully grown.The most consistent hatches on the Lower Jackson River is the mighty midge. They hatch year-round but become more important during the cold weather months. There are plenty of cream midges and blood midges that are of course, red. We suggest you always have imitations of these in sizes 20 or 22 in both the larva and pupa stages of life. At times you can take fish feeding on the surface using the adult imitations, either cream or black (adult blood midge). Black Flies are present in large numbers. They become most important during the Winter months. Trout eat the Black Fly larvae, pupae and the adults. We suggest having imitations of each in hook sizes 18 or 20. We have Perfect Fly imitations of the Black Fly in all stages of life.One of the most important flies you can have is a streamer. Patterns that imitate sculpin and baitfish are effective and especially on the larger size trout. The river has a population of thread-fin shad, dace and other types of baitfish that the larger trout feed on. A good selection of streamers is a must in our opinion. Streamers always work best in low light conditions. Early morning, late afternoon and evenings and during periods of heavy overcast skies are the best times to fish a streamer. You want the trout to get a good enough look at it to know it is there, but not good enough to determine it is a fake.