Pike Pond Fishing near Clifton Forge, Virginia

• Overview

  Pike Pond is one of the Alleghany County listings for Virginia. The surface lies 1,125 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 10 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Compared with other Virginia water on our list, it sits high. Some 2.7 miles away sits Clifton Forge, the nearest settlement. For a city, Roanoke is 37 miles off. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Pike Pond

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Public occurrence data for Alleghany County names fantail darter, margined madtom, white sucker, flathead catfish and longfin darter. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Pike Pond gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 72°F; the cold one sits at 32°F. Whether it freezes depends on the year. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. On Pike Pond that shapes the whole year. After a storm, the water clears from the edges inwards.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Clifton Forge Reservoir at 4 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Pike Pond for certain.