Try Something New: Fish America’s Oldest River

By Dr. Peter Brookes

Photos by Dr. Peter Brookes

Besides being one of the finest warmwater fisheries in the Eastern United States, the iconic New River in Southwestern Virginia provides a classic case of what your high school English teacher might call a “misnomer.”

The New River is hardly new.

While the river was new at one time to the English explorers who gave the waterway its name, the 320-mile New River is now considered to be one of the world’s oldest rivers; many geologists estimate it to be the second oldest river after Egypt’s Nile. We’re talking 300 million years old.

At a minimum, geochronologists think the New River probably ranks in the top 10 of the world’s oldest rivers; most experts seem to agree that it’s America’s oldest river, certainly the oldest on the East Coast. Interestingly, the New also flows north (actually northwest) from its North Carolina headwaters through Virginia for 160 miles and then into West Virginia. This contrasts with most Eastern U.S. rivers that flow southerly. The New’s waters eventually empty into the mighty Mississippi.

The New River.

And, fluvial fun facts aside, this time of year, it’s one of Virginia’s best-kept smallmouth bass fishing secrets. Indeed, the New is considered one of the best bronzeback fisheries in Virginia alongside the James, Shenandoah, and Rappahannock. It’s also one of the best in the Eastern U.S. outside of the likes of the Susquehanna, Delaware, and St. Lawrence rivers.

For trophy smallies, the New is understandably on the bucket list of many Virginia and out-of-state conventional/fly anglers. Indeed, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) told me that more than 95 citation-sized smallmouth (i.e., 20 inches long and or 5 lbs.) have been caught (and reported to DWR) in the river so far just this year.

No surprise that the current DWR state record for smallmouth bass—a brute of 8 lbs. 1 oz.—was caught in the New in 2003. While that mailbox of a fish is clearly in the “super-citation” category, I’m guessing that there are even bigger bronzebacks in the New. I’ve heard it said more than once: If you want to catch a boulder beast of a lifetime, go to the New River.

A smallmouth bass caught on the New River.

Now through early fall is one of the prime times to fish for them as bronzebacks are still active and beginning to feed more aggressively ahead of winter. These fish will be putting on the proverbial feed bag as the cooler weather comes and the days shorten.

In low light at the beginning and end of the day, topwater action with floating flies and lures can be the ticket; high sun usually calls for a subsurface approach, targeting deeper pools, ledges, and current seams. Smallies also love structure such as banks, root balls, and downfalls.
Favorite food, you ask? Smallies crave lures and flies that imitate crayfish, but baitfish patterns work well, too. The New River offers a variety of hydrological habitat including riffles, runs, deep pools, ledges, drop-offs, backwaters, and sloughs that supports a good number of other fish species as well.

Besides smallies, the New is home to an array of native and introduced sport fish species, including muskellunge (muskie), a (unique strain of riverine) walleye, channel and flathead catfish, grass and common carp, largemouth and spotted bass, landlocked striped and hybrid striped bass, rock bass, and various panfish. That’s impressive.

Indeed, the New is one of the most biologically diverse river in Virginia; while numbers vary due to category definitions, the New may hold as many as 100 species of native and introduced sport and nongame fish, ranging from diminutive darters to monster muskies. And check this out: As of a May 2025 DWR update, the New holds two other Virginia fishing records in addition to the smallie record noted earlier: a muskie of 45 lbs. 8 oz. caught in 2007 and a walleye weighing 15 lbs. 15 oz. caught in 2000.

While the source of undoubtedly endless high-spirited debate among anglers and guides, the New is arguably Virginia’s best river for musky, beating out the venerable James River—and also the best river for walleye, outpacing the Shenandoah. And if you look at those Virginia state records, we’re talking muskie and walleye the likes of which you normally find in places like Wisconsin, North Dakota, and the Great Lakes, right here in Virginia; clearly, the Old Dominion is a top destination for these species in the Central Atlantic.

More good news is that the New’s fish have recovered nicely since Hurricane Helene hit last September, according to DWR’s District Fisheries Biologist, Kristen Chestnut-Faull, who’s been surveying the river since the storm. Another bonus to visiting the New River? The New River Trail State Park offers a 57-mile rail-trail that parallels the river for 39 miles. The trail is used for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, and offers excellent fishing access. You may also want to check out Claytor Lake, a 4,363-acre impoundment of the New River near Radford. Claytor offers fishing for black bass (i.e., largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass), channel and flathead catfish, landlocked striped and hybrid striped bass, walleye, and panfish.

But it’s not all good news for the New.

The river has fish species of concern: the Alabama bass, a recent invasive. This aggressive bass looks very similar to the spotted bass, and biologists worry it could not only outcompete largemouth, but hybridize with smallmouth and spotted bass, potentially undermining the fishery’s vitality. To prevent this, anglers can assist DWR with its surveillance of Alabama bass in the New River–and elsewhere in Virginia waters by reporting and documenting a suspected Alabama Bass catch.

I feel comfortable writing that the New River ranks among the top-tier warm water fisheries in the Eastern U.S., especially for smallmouth bass, walleye, and muskie; some consider it a top-five to top-10 destination for warm water fishing east of the Mississippi River. Whether visiting the New River is old or new for you, you can get your Virginia fishing license online here or, better yet, download the Go Outdoors Virginia Mobile App from which you can get DWR info and or buy a fishing (or other) license on the fly.

The New has incredible biodiversity for an inland, non-estuarine river, offering ancient geology, striking scenery, and year-round opportunities for great fishing. It’s a waterway where anglers can come for a shot at something special, including a DWR fishing citation and or record. Perhaps best of all: It’s right here in Virginia.

Dr. Peter Brookes is an award-winning outdoor writer. Hook up with him at brookesoutdoors@aol.com