Fishing Douthat Lake in Bath County, Virginia

• Overview

  Douthat Lake stands in Bath County, Virginia. It sits at 1,434 feet above sea level. Roughly 47 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The edge runs 1.3 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It is high ground by Virginia standards. Head to Clifton Forge, 6.3 miles away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Roanoke, 45 miles away. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Douthat Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Records held for Bath County cover rock bass, fantail darter and rainbow trout. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Douthat Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 73°F; the cold one sits at 32°F. In milder years the surface never sets. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. It sets the rhythm of the year at Douthat Lake. Fish feed harder before a change in weather than after it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Mapping shows a ramp about half a mile from the shore. A car park lies half a mile away, so the walk in is short. Fishing from a pier is possible half a mile away. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Clifton Forge Reservoir is 4.4 miles off. Nothing on Douthat Lake should be assumed from this page alone.