Virginia · Fishing license · Free days
Free fishing days in Virginia
DWR sets them by a recurring rule rather than a fixed date.
On these days you can fish Virginia waters without a license. Nothing else changes: limits, sizes, seasons and closed waters all still apply.
freshwater
The rule, not a date
Virginia holds free fishing days each year on which no licence is needed in public fresh water. All other rules stay in force. The licence pages read for this entry name no 2026 dates, so none are claimed here.
We found no page where DWR states this year's dates outright, so the rule stands here instead of a date we worked out ourselves. A calculated date that turns out wrong costs someone a fine.
What a free day does not cover
- Bag limits, size limits and closed seasons are unchanged.
- Waters that are closed stay closed.
- A free day waives the license, not the rules the license comes with.
