Reel fun returns: Shenandoah lifts fishing ban after much-needed rainfall

LURAY, Va. — Good news for fish fans: Shenandoah's streams are back in business. After weeks of dry spells, the recent rains have opened the waters for anglers, so it’s time to cast your line and enjoy the flow.

Officials say extremely dry conditions and low stream flows prompted the ban on June 27. Recent rainfall has improved those conditions since, opening the waterway back up to anyone interested in going fishing. Since Aug. 8, data shows four to eight inches of precipitation throughout the park. 

Just remember, these fish have been through a lot, so show them some extra TLC.

“Be gentle with the fish and the fragile environment they inhabit,"  says Chief of Natural and Cultural Resources, Evan Childress. "The drought this summer created stressful conditions for them, so try to minimize the time they are out of the water before you release them."

Park officials warn that low water levels and sweltering temperatures turn the streams into a high-stress sauna for fish, where oxygen levels drop dangerously low. Adding the extra strain of fishing during these conditions could spell trouble for the already fragile brook trout populations. As a result, all streams within park boundaries—whether for harvest or catch-and-release—had to hit the pause button on fishing.

Now that stream conditions have improved, the closure has been lifted.