Lake Ashby Fishing near New Baltimore, Virginia

• Overview

  Set in Fauquier County, Lake Ashby is a Virginia water. The coast is 25 miles away. The water covers some 43 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline comes to about 1.2 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Few waters listed in Fauquier County are bigger. For supplies, New Baltimore is 2.4 miles out. Warrenton is 5.7 miles and Gainesville 5.8 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Lake Ashby

  There is a figure for this one: 25 ft. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Fauquier County, recorded fish include bluegill, green sunfish and redbreast sunfish. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Take Lake Ashby a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 33°F in January up to 76°F in July. Seasons here are moderate, and the fishing runs most of the year. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. That is the shape of the year on Lake Ashby.

• Tackle & Baits

  Being publicly held, the water is generally open for fishing. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Records show no boating, which makes this a bank-only water. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. There is a jetty half a mile off, worth knowing on a busy day. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lake Wesley at 0.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Lake Ashby before loading the car.