Dan River Fishing Guides
A long, underfished piedmont river running the Virginia-North Carolina line, with smallmouth on the shoals and serious catfish in the bends.
Guides on the Dan River
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About the Dan River
The Dan is one of the longer rivers in the Virginia piedmont and one of the least talked about. It rises in the Blue Ridge, crosses in and out of North Carolina several times, runs through Danville and then east past Paces toward the Kerr Reservoir backwater. The reach around the gauge is wide, slow-moving in places and broken by shoals in others, flowing through farm country and bottomland hardwood with very little development on the banks.
Smallmouth bass are the fish most anglers come for, holding on the shoal complexes, the current seams and the rock structure through the middle river. Largemouth take over in the slower, deeper water toward the reservoir influence. The catfish fishery is the underrated one – channel cats are everywhere, flatheads hold in the log jams and the deep outside bends, and blue catfish have established themselves and reach substantial size in the lower reaches.
Muskellunge are the wildcard and they are genuinely present, stocked and maintained through parts of the system, which makes the Dan one of a small number of southern rivers where a musky is a realistic if uncommon outcome. Rock bass and redbreast sunfish are abundant everywhere and are what keeps a slow day interesting. White bass run up out of the reservoir in the spring.
The river floats well in a canoe, kayak or jon boat at moderate levels, and the Dan River Basin Association has done substantial work building out and publicising a paddle trail with mapped accesses on both the Virginia and North Carolina banks. That is the practical way to fish it – pick two accesses and float between them. Check the gauge, because the Dan carries a lot of piedmont sediment and colours up quickly after rain.
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Access
Paces - the gauge reach and a usable access on the middle river.
Danville Riverwalk - developed park access and a launch through the city.
Abreu-Grogan Park, Danville - the main trailered ramp on the upper reach.
Milton, North Carolina - access on the south bank of the middle river.
South Boston area - lower river access toward the reservoir.
Route 58 crossings - roadside access at several points along the corridor.
Kerr Reservoir upper end - the bottom of the flowing reach.
Seasons
Spring: high coloured water, the white bass run and the strongest catfish feeding.
Summer: low clear flows, excellent smallmouth fishing and night catfishing.
Fall: cooling water concentrates smallmouth on the shoals and the river clears.
Winter: slow but steady blue and flathead catfish in the deep bends.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Dan River?
As of Sep 17, 5:45 am, the USGS gauge DAN RIVER AT PACES, VA reads 338 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Dan River?
Anglers target Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Muskellunge, Redbreast Sunfish, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass on the Dan River in Virginia.
Where can you access the Dan River?
Paces - the gauge reach and a usable access on the middle river. Danville Riverwalk - developed park access and a launch through the city. Abreu-Grogan Park, Danville - the main trailered ramp on the upper reach. Milton, North Carolina - access on the south bank of the middle river. South Boston area - lower river access toward the reservoir. Route 58 crossings - roadside access at several points along the corridor. Kerr Reservoir upper end - the bottom of the flowing reach.
When is the best time to fish the Dan River?
Spring: high coloured water, the white bass run and the strongest catfish feeding. Summer: low clear flows, excellent smallmouth fishing and night catfishing. Fall: cooling water concentrates smallmouth on the shoals and the river clears. Winter: slow but steady blue and flathead catfish in the deep bends.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Dan River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Virginia agency site: https://dwr.virginia.gov/fishing/regulations/