Best bluegill lakes in Virginia
20 Virginia waters list bluegill (official records or labelled estimates), 12 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The classic panfish. Shallow cover in summer, deeper weed edges otherwise.
- South Holston Lake — 240 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
- Lake Chesdin — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
- Occoquan Reservoir — 65 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
- Briery Creek Lake — 40 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Laurel Bed Lake — 32 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, Rock BassWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lake Orange — 36 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Nottoway — 16 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Frederick — 48 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Rural Retreat Lake — 35 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Fluvanna Ruritan Lake — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Hidden Valley Lake — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Lake Brittle — 26 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Snakehead, CrappieWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Shenandoah — 25 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lake A. Willis Robertson — 45 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Horsepen Lake — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
…plus 5 more Virginia waters holding bluegill.
Find the closest bluegill waters to you →
How to use this ranking
The order is a map-planning ranking, not a claim about today's fish population. It favors larger mapped waters and gives survey-backed contours a three-times data-quality boost. Agency population surveys, current regulations, access and recent conditions should make the final decision.
Compare maximum depth across 37,233 lake records · See Virginia waters with public access data
When to fish bluegill in Virginia
- Spring 1–6 ft — Bedding colonies on sandy shallow flats — sight-fish the light spots.
- Summer 4–15 ft — Weed edges and dock shade; bigger 'gills hold slightly deeper.
- Fall 6–18 ft — Schools tighten on remaining green weeds and first drops.
- Winter 10–25 ft — Soft-bottom basins with invertebrates; finesse presentations.
Also in Virginia: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best crappie lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best striped bass lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best white perch lakes
Bluegill elsewhere: Ontario · Wisconsin · Minnesota · Québec · Michigan · New Hampshire · New York · Montana · Massachusetts · Wyoming · Washington · Florida · Indiana · North Dakota · Texas · Iowa · Ohio · Connecticut · Nebraska · California · Missouri · Vermont · Oklahoma · South Dakota · Utah · Arizona · Colorado · Illinois · New Mexico · Kansas · West Virginia · Mississippi · Idaho · New Jersey · Kentucky · Alabama · North Carolina · Puerto Rico · Tennessee · Georgia · Delaware · Rhode Island · Louisiana · South Carolina · Pennsylvania · Maryland · Arkansas · Hawaii