Reservoir · Virginia
Philpott Lake
Philpott Lake
Reservoir · Virginia
Information Only
StrikeTracks does not currently provide a live condition rating for this destination. Destination and fishery information is still available.
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Fishery Profile
Documented species you may encounter at Philpott Lake.
Species images are AI-generated illustrations for visual reference and may simplify natural variation. Fishery records are based on the cited agency sources. About fish illustrations
Fishery overview
Philpott Lake is the USACE reservoir on the Smith River in Patrick, Franklin, and Henry counties, a largemouth, smallmouth, walleye, crappie, and channel catfish lake. It is not the Smith River tailwater at Bassett.
Target species
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus nigricans
- Expectation
- Primary
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
DWR electrofishing: largemouth comprise the bulk of the black-bass fishery.
Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieu
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
DWR: quality smallmouth fishery; stocked in 2025 to enhance the population.
Walleye
Sander vitreus
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- High confidence
DWR: premier VA walleye destination; ~144,000 fingerlings stocked annually; little natural reproduction.
Black Crappie
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
- Expectation
- Present
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
DWR: black crappie present with good size structure but not high density.
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
- Expectation
- Present
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
DWR: channel catfish present but not abundant versus other VA reservoirs.
Fishery characteristics
- Composition
- Mixed wild and stocked
Blue Ridge Corps pool with steep, clear-water coves, rocky smallmouth banks, and deeper walleye structure. Philpott Dam releases create the Bassett tailwater, which remains a separate river destination.
Best seasons
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
Common techniques
- Boat fishing
- Shore fishing
- Spinning
- Trolling
Access and Public Fishing Rights
USACE recreation areas around Philpott provide ramps and bank fishing. Confirm current Corps launch status. Bassett tailwater parking is not lake access. Catalog coordinates are a reservoir reference.
Stocking information
Existing notes treat Philpott bass, walleye, crappie, and catfish as established Corps-lake populations. Confirm any current DWR plants on official Virginia schedules for Philpott Lake, not the Smith River at Bassett.
- Stocked
Walleye
Stocked · Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
Official sources
Virginia DWR freshwater regulations apply on the Philpott pool. Verify current seasons and any walleye notes, plus USACE shoreline postings. Do not apply Smith River tailwater trout specials to this reservoir.
Location and Access
Cataloged lake location
Virginia
The map marker represents the cataloged waterbody or monitoring location and may not indicate legal parking or public access. Confirm access through the official information before visiting.
Lake Details
Management Category
Reservoir / catalog-visible Unavailable
Regulation Scope
Philpott Lake
Regulation Summary
Virginia freshwater fishing regulations apply; confirm current seasons, access, and limits.
Target Species
Walleye, Largemouth Bass
Public Access
Public
Description
USACE reservoir, Patrick/Franklin/Henry. Distinct from the existing Smith River at Bassett tailwater. Catalog-visible Unavailable under accepted MIDATL-1A / POLICY-1: kind=reservoir, no qualifying same-lake USGS water-temperature station, ordinary L-C/L-D Estimated prohibited. USACE reservoir; ordinary L-C/L-D prohibited. USGS 02072500 Smith River at Bassett is the existing tailwater; outlet temperature is not lake-body temperature. Elevation, outlet/tailwater, tributary, and nearby-lake readings are not lake-body thermal. Unavailable means insufficient information, not Poor. Confirm current regulations and access. Coordinates are a public lake reference point, not a verified launch pin.
