Gum Springs Branch near Stuarts Draft: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in Augusta County, Virginia, this is Gum Springs Branch. The water sits 1,614 feet up. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Virginia listings. The nearest place of any size is Stuarts Draft, 5.5 miles away. The nearest city of size is Roanoke, 67 miles away. Nearest other option: Lake Wilda (2.2 miles), Kiwanis Lake within 2.5 miles, Coles Run Reservoir (5 miles), Maple Flat Ponds within 6.9 miles and Lake Wilda (7.1 miles). Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Gum Springs Branch

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Undercut banks hold fish that the middle of the river never will. Slack water behind an obstruction is worth more than open current. Fish documented in Augusta County include fantail darter, bluegill and white sucker. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Gum Springs Branch responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 31°F to 71°F. Conditions shift steadily rather than sharply. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. It sets the rhythm of the year at Gum Springs Branch. Weed growth peaks in late summer and changes where you can fish.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. There is a pier recorded roughly 100 yards away. There is camping recorded roughly half a mile off. Facilities include toilets around 120 yards from here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Lake Wilda, 2.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Gum Springs Branch are worth checking on the day.