Boating & Fishing

Bennett's Creek Park & Boat Ramp


Shoulder's Hill Road
Suffolk, VA 23434
757-484-3984

Parks Department Page

Amenities


This 50-acre park offers:
  • 2 Free Boat Ramps
  • 3 Covered Shelters
  • Handicapped-Accessible Fishing and Crabbing Pier
  • Nature Trail / Disc Golf Trails
  • Open Fields
  • A Playground
  • Tennis Courts
  • Restrooms

Bird-Sighting


During summer, when land bird activity is diminished, viewing the adjacent tidal channels by boat, which are part of the Suffolk Canoe Trail, provides access to the greatest number of bird species and allows close looks at blue and fiddler crabs, killifish, and other salt marsh denizens. In winter, paddling these channels supplies closer looks at wintering waterfowl.

Constant's Wharf Marina


110 E Constance Road
(Behind the Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk Riverfront)
Suffolk, VA 23434
757-514-7250

Located on the Nansemond River, John Constant founded this important trading center and village known as Constant's Wharf, which would become the Town of Suffolk in 1742.

Boating, Concerts & Festivities


Now this park is full of life, located directly behind The Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk Riverfront. The 28-slip marina is ideal for boaters and the 6-acre park is the setting for summer outdoor concerts, festivals, movie nights and more.

Fees


Boating Fees
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Davis Lakes & Campgrounds


200 Byrd Street
Suffolk, VA 23434
757-539-1191

Davis Lakes and Campgrounds Website

This family fun spot south of downtown Suffolk has multiple campsites and offers nature trails, swimming and more. Davis Lakes features three fresh water, spring-fed fishing lakes stocked with Bass, Blue Gill and Catfish.

Permits Per City


As various bodies of water in Suffolk are owned by different locales, boating and fishing permits are required from the respective city (owner). Applications may be obtained at the Suffolk Visitor Center or respective city website.

Norfolk-Owned Lakes


Either a daily or annual boat permit for fishing at Norfolk-owned lakes is required. These can be purchased at either:

The Lake Whitehurst Fishing Station


Shore Drive
Norfolk, VA 23518

Granby Municipal Building


400 Granby Street
Norfolk, VA 23510

Burnt Mills Reservoir


Route 603
Suffolk, VA 23504

Boat Ramp / Fishing Location
There is a dirt ramp, with limited parking, located adjacent to the dam off Route 603, a few miles west of Route 10/32. Burnt Mills is 711 acres and dates back to the early 1940s. The upper half of the lake is very stumpy and caution is required when motoring through the lake. The main tributary (Great Swamp) is a dense cypress swamp.

Fish Species
The lake has good populations of:
  • Black Crappie
  • Bluegill
  • Chain Pickerel
  • Largemouth Bass
  • Redear Sunfish
Fish population surveys indicate most species have remained stable in terms of numbers and average size for the past 10 years. Yellow perch appear to be increasing in abundance.
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Lake Prince


U.S. 460 at Providence Church on Route 604 (Lake Prince Road)
Suffolk, VA 23434

Lake Prince is 946 acres, 30 feet deep and it has numerous long, narrow coves extending out from the main body of the lake. Striped bass have been stocked annually in Lake Prince since 1970. Approximately 25 fish per acre (19,425 striped bass per year) are stocked. Prince has good largemouth bass, bluegill, and redear sunfish populations. Fishing is best for largemouth bass in spring and fall, for redear sunfish in spring, and for bluegills in summer. However, all of these fishes can be caught year-round. There are also black crappies in the lake, with spring and fall being the best times for these fish. Some big chain pickerel are caught during the cooler months. Lake Prince produces about 50 trophy bass and 150 trophy sunfish each year.

The lake is open to fishing from sunrise to sunset 365 days per year. The concession there is closed and will probably remain so indefinitely.

Boat Ramp
There is a boat ramp at the address listed. Norfolk boat permits are required. Bank fishing is restricted to a small area around the boat ramp, and gas motors (up to 9.9 horsepower) are allowed. The City of Norfolk has amended their codes to allow boats with outboard motors larger than 9.9 horse power to access the lake if the gas tanks are removed or the outboard is disabled (prop removed).

Western Branch Reservoir


Route 603
Suffolk, VA 23504

Western Branch is 1,265 with a maximum depth of 35 feet. The lake is horseshoe shaped with Lake Prince upstream on one arm and Lake Burnt Mills upstream on the other arm.

Common Fish, Seasonal Recommendations
Western Branch is one of the top waters in the state in trophy sunfish, white perch, yellow perch, and largemouth bass. The lake also has a healthy crappie population. Most of the sunfish certificates are for redear sunfish or shellcrackers. Redear are most frequently caught in April and May. Nightcrawlers are the favored bait.

Angling for bass is probably best in the spring, but good numbers can be caught year-round. Artificial bait is preferred.

Fall and winter months are best for striper fishing; with good numbers caught in the spring below the spillways from Lakes Prince and Burnt Mills. White and yellow perch are available in good sizes and numbers, and numerous trophies are caught each year. White perch appear to be gaining in popularity during the winter months.

Boat Launches
The lake has 2 places to launch boats: a dirt/gravel ramp is just below the Burnt Mills Dam off Route 603 (across from Kirk Lumber Co.) near Everetts, and 2 paved ramps are below the Lake Prince Dam on Route 605 near Providence Church. Bank fishing is prohibited. Gas motors up to 9.9 horsepower are allowed. Boats with outboard motors larger than 9.9 horse power may access the lake if the gas tanks are removed or the outboard is disabled (prop removed). Water skiing and sailing are prohibited. The ramps are open sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year and a Norfolk boat permit is required. The concession is closed.

Portsmouth-Owned Lakes


Permits


A permit (daily or annual) from the City of Portsmouth is required for fishing or out on their lakes. Permits are valid for all 4 lakes.
Annual
Applications for annual permits can be obtained at the following places:
Cohoon-Meade Fishing Station
Pitchkettle Road
Portsmouth, VA 23701

Dashiell's Half-Round Showroom
Holland Road
Suffolk, VA 23434

Portsmouth Utilities Department
Crawford Street
Portsmouth, VA 23704
Daily
Daily permits can be purchased at:
Cohoon-Meade Fishing Station
Pitchkettle Road
Portsmouth, VA 23701

Call 757-923-3219 for more information.

Lake Cohoon


2756 Lake Cohoon Road
Suffolk, VA 23434

Common Fish Species
Lake Cohoon is 510 acres and offers excellent fishing for:
  • Bluegill
  • Chain Pickerel
  • Crappie
  • Largemouth Bass
  • Redear Sunfish
Large Fish Breeds
It produces several 6-pound chain pickerel each winter and is consistently one of the district's top producers of big fish. The lake is also one of the district's top producers of big crappie.

Motors & Bank Fishing
Motors (up to 9.9 horsepower) are allowed. Bank fishing is limited to the shore at the fishing station, excluding the dam’s mouth.

Lake Kilby


829 Lake Kilby Road
Suffolk, VA 23434

Lake Kilby is a colonial era millpond. The upper half of this 222-acre is a dense and very scenic cypress swamp. The water is dark-tannin stained and slightly acidic. Under these conditions, fish such as flier, warmouth, chain pickerel, and black crappie flourish.

Sport Fish & The "Black Bream" Bluegills
Other sport fish in Kilby include bluegill, redear and largemouth bass. The bluegills are very dark in color (in response to the dark stained water) and are known locally as "black bream." Pickerel fishing is best during the winter months; for the other sport fish, it's spring and fall.

Lake Meade


689 Lake Meade Drive
Suffolk, VA 23434

Lake Meade is the youngest Portsmouth water supply lake. It was impounded in 1960 on the mainstem of the Nansemond River. It is horseshoe shaped with Lakes Kilby and Speight's Run on one arm and Lake Cohoon on the other. The lake is 512 acres and has a maximum depth of about 25-feet.

Lake Speight


Route 688
Suffolk, VA 23434

Speight's Run is a 197-acre lake that overflows into Lake Kilby. The lake is separated into 2 sections, split by Route 645 (Manning Road) off Route 58 in Suffolk. The upper section is closed to public fishing due to the lack of any public access.

Common Fish
The lake contains abundant largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and redear sunfish, with perhaps the latter species being most noteworthy. Bass in the 12-15 inch range are very abundant. Since the lake gets very little fishing pressure, angling success rates are generally high.

Permits, Motors, Ramps
Permits are required, as for the other Portsmouth lakes. Bank fishing is prohibited and gas motors (up to 10 horsepower) are allowed. On the lower lake, there is a paved ramp with limited parking located at the dam on Route 688, south of the intersection of Business Route 58 and Route 58 bypass.

Suffolk-Owned Lakes


Lone Star Lakes


The City of Suffolk re-opened the boating access (ramp) for Butler Tract Lake, located within the Lone Star Lakes Park, on August 3, 2010. Boaters and anglers should be aware of the current low water level in the lake that may make it difficult to launch boats that require a trailer. Please contact the park rangers at 757-255-4032 for additional questions regarding boat access in Lone Star lakes.

Park Amenities, Trails, Ramps
The Lone Star Lakes are a series of 11 lakes (some interconnected) varying in size from 3 to 50 acres. The total acreage is 490. The park contains 1,172 acres and offers picnicking and hiking, as well as an archery range and horseback riding trails. There are 2 new ramps, one at Butler Tract and the other at Crane Lake, providing boat access to these outstanding fishing waters. The lakes vary in characteristics. One is brackish, some are dark-stained, while others very clear. Some are deep while others are very shallow. Among the best is Crane Lake, which opens into Chuckatuck Creek.

Common Fish
Crane Lake has good populations of:
  • Bluegill
  • Largemouth Bass
  • Spot
  • Striped Bass
  • White Catfish
  • White Perch
Channel catfish were stocked in 1992, and blue catfish from the James River have now moved into the lake via Chuckatuck Creek. Saltwater fish, such as bluefish and flounder, are also found in the lakes at times. The lake also has blue crabs, which makes live bait fishing difficult.

Butler Tract, Crystal, and Annette Lakes are all interconnected. They contain:
  • Bluegill
  • Crappie
  • Largemouth Bass
  • Redear Sunfish
  • White Perch
Butler Tract, in particular, has a lot of bass-mostly small, but some citations are caught each year. Southern Lake and Lake Wahoo, which are interconnected, contain largemouth bass, crappie, and bluegill, and were stocked with channel catfish in 1992. These lakes can be difficult to fish due to the steep shorelines, but they can produce some excellent fishing.

Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge


3100 Desert Road
Suffolk, VA 23434

Great Dismal Swamp Website

Fishing and boating is permitted year-round on Lake Drummond with access via the Feeder Ditch, connecting Lake Drummond (a 3,108-acre natural lake in the heart of the swamp) with the Dismal Swamp Canal. A public boat ramp is located north of the Feeder Ditch on the Dismal Swamp Canal. Boats must be small enough to portage around the water control structure near the lake or to be lifted by electric tram to the higher level of the Lake. Lift weight is restricted to a maximum of 1,000 pounds. Vessels are limited to 25 horse power on the Lake. A Virginia fishing license is required. Boating access at the Interior Ditch boat ramp is by special permit on weekends only during the fishing season of April 1 to June 15. Additional information is available from the Refuge office.