Shields Lake Fishing in City of Richmond, Virginia

• Overview

  The City of Richmond end of Virginia holds Shields Lake. The bank gives way to open plain. At 5 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our City of Richmond list holds plenty of bigger water. Supplies mean a trip to Richmond, 1.3 miles off. Dumbarton lies 4.5 miles off, Bon Air another 4.7 miles. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Shields Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. County-wide records name redbreast sunfish, bluegill, green sunfish, longnose gar and flathead catfish. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Shields Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 37°F in January to roughly 79°F in July. Cooler months are the productive ones on most of this water. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. On Shields Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Mapping shows parking within 110 yards. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Swan Lake is 0.2 miles off. Nothing on Shields Lake should be assumed from this page alone.