Mountain Lake Fishing near Pembroke, Virginia

• Overview

  Mountain Lake is one of the Giles County listings for Virginia. Elevation runs to 3,894 feet. It measures about 48 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The edge runs 1.2 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Virginia listings. Supplies mean a trip to Pembroke, 6.4 miles off. It is 33 miles to Roanoke, the nearest city. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Mountain Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name fantail darter, greenside darter, rainbow darter, snubnose darter and white sucker. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Mountain Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 67°F, while January sits near 29°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Mountain Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping shows parking within half a mile. There is a mapped landing stage 70 yards away. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Eliber Springs Branch at 6.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing on Mountain Lake should be assumed from this page alone.