Best walleye lakes in Virginia
8 Virginia waters list walleye (official records or labelled estimates), 2 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. Low-light predator with reflective eyes. Feeds on structure edges at dawn, dusk and night.
- South Holston Lake — 240 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #1: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 2 public access sites
- Lake Orange — 36 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lake Brittle — 26 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Snakehead, CrappieWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Smith Mountain Lake — Water guide · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #4: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · no verified access record attached
- Claytor Lake — Water guide · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #5: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · no verified access record attached
…plus 3 more Virginia waters holding walleye.
Find the closest walleye 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 walleye in Virginia
- Spring 4–15 ft — Spawning runs to gravel shoals, rocky shorelines and inflows.
- Summer 15–35 ft — Deep humps and breaklines by day; edges and flats in low light.
- Fall 12–40 ft — Fish steep structure near deep basins; big fish move shallow at night.
- Winter 20–40 ft — Deep basin flats and humps; short dawn/dusk feeding windows.
Also in Virginia: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill 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
Walleye elsewhere: Ontario · Wisconsin · Minnesota · British Columbia · Québec · Michigan · New York · Montana · Saskatchewan · Wyoming · Indiana · North Dakota · Texas · Iowa · Ohio · Alberta · Connecticut · Nebraska · Missouri · Vermont · Oklahoma · South Dakota · Utah · Arizona · Colorado · Illinois · New Mexico · Kansas · West Virginia · New Jersey · Kentucky · North Carolina · Tennessee · Georgia · Manitoba · Pennsylvania · Maryland · Arkansas