Surrounded by mountain vistas, the 108-acre Hungry Mother Lake is the recreational centerpiece of southwestern Virginia’s 2,180-acre Hungry Mother State Park, in Smyth County near Marion. Its beach attracts swimmers, sunbathers, picnickers, and volleyball players. Its waters attract anglers, kayakers,…
Virginia’s Fairy Stone Lake is home to “fairy stones,” unusual staurolite (iron aluminum silicate hydroxide) diamond-shaped crystals. The 168-acre lake is surrounded by 4,741-acre Fairy Stone State Park, created by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The park is the largest of…
50-acre Douthat Lake (that’s “DOW-thut”) is surrounded by the beautiful Allegheny Mountains in Virginia’s 4,545-acre Douthat State Park. It’s accessible through year-round cabins (rented by the state park system) and through well-equipped campgrounds that are tent and RV friendly. Popular…
Spring Hollow Reservoir is a prime example of planned water supply storage in Virginia’s southern Shenandoah Valley region. The 158-acre reservoir was created by building a dam across a valley southwest of the city of Roanoke. The dam encloses water…
He watches his little boy struggle to carry both the fishing rod and tackle box. He could carry it for him, but the boy insisted he could do it himself. They’ve been planning this trip for a long time. It’s…
Although Lake Holly is a small lake consisting of only 20 acres, it provides excellent water skiing in scenic Sparta, Virginia which is located in Caroline County. Owned by the Lake Holly Ski Club (LHSC), the lake was purchased by…
Just 20 miles from Richmond, Virginia in Chesterfield County, Swift Creek Lake offers a respite for weary city dwellers and plenty of fish and wildlife for anglers and hunters. Pocahontas State Park surrounds Swift Creek Lake. The park, built by…
Lake Monticello, located amidst the gentle rolling hills of Central Virginia, is a private community with a beautiful 350-acre lake. Within easy distance to Charlottesville and Richmond, Lake Monticello is an ideal home for commuters as well as retirees. Lake…
Nestled between Fredericksburg and Culpeper, Virginia, Lake of the Woods is a private residential community consisting of two lakes. Located in Central Virginia’s Orange County, Lake of the Woods offers a calm reprieve from the hustle and bustle of city…
Lake Manassas is nestled in the beautiful rolling hills of Prince William County in Northern Virginia. Created in 1969 by the impoundment of Broad Run River, the 800 acres of Lake Manassas are owned by the City of Manassas and…
Nestled in the center of the James City County Parks and Recreation system is the 996-acre Little Creek Reservoir. With 40 miles of shoreline and an average depth of 35 feet, Little Creek Reservoir is ideal for fishing and family…
The John W. Flannagan Reservoir is a 1,145-acre lake located in Dickenson County in the southwest Heart of Appalachia region of Virginia. Named in honor of the ninth Virginia District Congressman, John Williams Flannagan, Jr., the John W. Flannagan dam…
A slick brown otter dodges playfully in amongst the clumps of wetland grasses and trees that anchor the Chickahominy River. Gradually, the forest thins as the river swells, giving way to wide open water rimmed with tupelo trees and bald…
Western Branch Lake, near Suffolk, Virginia, is one of five water supply reservoirs owned by the City of Norfolk that allows fishing. At 1,265 acres, Western Branch Lake is the largest of the water supply lakes and with a maximum…
In the dialect of the Native American Dogue tribe, “occoquan” means “at the end of the water.” The Dogue tribe occupied Northern Virginia up until the mid-1600s. They farmed, fished and hunted in the lands and waters of what is…