The colorful trout that pass through Passage Creek

Just a scenic two-hour drive from Washington, D.C., the 38-mile-long Passage Creek weaves in and out of Fort Valley, Virginia, a part of the Shenandoah Mountains so sheltered that it has been called "a valley within a valley."

Each year, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) stocks the tributary with trout reared at the Royal Fish Hatchery, which just so happens to be at the north end of Passage Creek. While it depends on what Virginia DWR has available at the hatchery, you’re likely to find rainbow trout, as well as brown trout and brook trout if they’re available.

Parts of the tributary are “put and take”, meaning you can keep the trout that you catch. Other sections are “Delayed Harvest” which means that fishing is allowed later into the year (from October 1st through May 31st) but you have to put back what you catch.

Trout, particularly the native brook trout, are beautiful yet sensitive fish that require clean, cool water no warmer than 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Passage Creek meets this criteria mainly due to the rural nature of Fort Valley and the George Washington National Forest that surrounds it. There are many farms in Fort Valley but with conservation practices like cover crops, stream fencing and forest buffers, pollution to the tributary can be limited.

When the water becomes too warm for trout, Passage Creek still holds warm-water species such as sunfish, rock bass, chubs and fallfish.

In addition to fishing its waters, visitors can hike and camp in the surrounding parks like the Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area, which includes one of many iron ore furnaces constructed in the Shenandoah Valley during the 1800s. At the southern end of Passage Creek, Camp Roosevelt Recreation Area includes the original buildings of the first Civilian Conservation Corps Camp built in the nation in 1933.

As the average temperature of Chesapeake Bay rivers increases, lessening the available habitat for native brook trout, tributaries like Passage Creek are increasingly vital to protect. It’s also important that anglers follow catch and release protocol for trout so the fish aren’t overstressed.

Have you caught any fish in Passage Creek? Let us know in the comments!