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Fishing Occoquan Reservoir: what the data says
1,700-acre reservoir near Woodbridge. a Northern Virginia water-supply lake near Manassas. wooded coves, docks and quality largemouth and crappie (electric motors only). The lake tops out around 65 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Occoquan Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Occoquan Reservoir
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Occoquan Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Occoquan River inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 7 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
Blue Catfish fishing at Occoquan Reservoir
In spring, blue catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 40 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 50 ft. Occoquan River inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring blue catfish. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday |
Bluegill fishing at Occoquan Reservoir
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 55 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 16 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 16 ft
- Marina / dock area: dock line, around 10 ft
- Occoquan River inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 7 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Dock / pier line: dock line, around 2 ft
- Dock / pier line: dock line, around 2 ft
- Dock / pier line: dock line, around 0 ft
Common questions
How deep is Occoquan Reservoir?
Occoquan Reservoir is about 65 ft (20 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Occoquan Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, blue catfish on Occoquan Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Occoquan Reservoir?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Occoquan Reservoir?
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Lake Brittle · Rappahannock River · Shenandoah River · Lake Anna · Lake Orange · Lake Frederick
See how Occoquan Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Virginia · best crappie lakes in Virginia · best bluegill lakes in Virginia · best channel catfish lakes in Virginia
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