Calfpasture River Fishing Guides
A quiet limestone-valley smallmouth river in the Virginia mountains, feeding the Maury through the spectacular Goshen Pass.
Guides on the Calfpasture River
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About the Calfpasture River
The Calfpasture runs down a long narrow valley between Great North Mountain and the Little North Mountain ridge, one of three parallel pasture rivers – Calfpasture, Cowpasture and Bullpasture – that drain this corner of western Virginia and whose names come from the colonial-era grazing grounds along them. It is farm country, largely private, and the river reflects that: pastoral, unhurried, with cattle fence and sycamore along the banks and long flat pools between shallow riffles. Below Goshen the Calfpasture meets the Little Calfpasture and becomes the Maury, which promptly plunges through the Goshen Pass gorge on its way to the James.
What the Calfpasture offers is a genuine small-river smallmouth fishery with very little pressure. The bass are not enormous but they are numerous and willing, holding in the heads of pools and in the shade of undercut banks. Rock bass fill the pocket water and redbreast sunfish take a small popper readily all summer, which makes this pleasant fly water for anyone not chasing size. The limestone influence keeps the water reasonably fertile and reasonably clear. Trout appear in the colder upper reaches and in the tributaries, particularly where mountain streams come in off the national forest, though the mainstem through the valley is warmwater in character.
Access is the honest constraint here and it must be said plainly – much of the river runs through private farmland, and the public entry points are limited to bridge crossings and the national forest ground upstream. Ask permission or stay in the water below the high-water mark. The gauge above Mill Creek at Goshen publishes discharge and stage but no water temperature, so read the season off the air and the calendar. This is a small watershed that gets low and warm in late summer.
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Access
Goshen bridge crossing - roadside access near the gauge and the town.
VA 39 crossings above Goshen - several bridge pull-offs along the valley.
Goshen Pass Natural Area Preserve - downstream on the Maury, the headline public water.
George Washington National Forest tracts - public ground on the upper river and tributaries.
VA 42 corridor crossings - scattered bridge access through the middle valley.
Little Calfpasture confluence area - wade access near the Maury's formation.
Craigsville area access - upper valley roadside entry.
Seasons
Spring: high and pushy early, then the prime smallmouth weeks as it drops and clears in May.
Summer: low, warm and clear - fish early and late, and expect small fish in the shrunken pools.
Fall: the best month, with cool nights, good flow after rain and aggressive bass.
Winter: very quiet; the river is cold and low and most anglers move to the Maury or the James.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Calfpasture River?
As of Sep 17, 5:45 am, the USGS gauge CALFPASTURE RIVER ABOVE MILL CREEK AT GOSHEN, VA reads 3 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Calfpasture River?
Anglers target Bluegill, Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Fallfish, Rainbow Trout, Redbreast Sunfish, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Sucker on the Calfpasture River in Virginia.
Where can you access the Calfpasture River?
Goshen bridge crossing - roadside access near the gauge and the town. VA 39 crossings above Goshen - several bridge pull-offs along the valley. Goshen Pass Natural Area Preserve - downstream on the Maury, the headline public water. George Washington National Forest tracts - public ground on the upper river and tributaries. VA 42 corridor crossings - scattered bridge access through the middle valley. Little Calfpasture confluence area - wade access near the Maury's formation. Craigsville area access - upper valley roadside entry.
When is the best time to fish the Calfpasture River?
Spring: high and pushy early, then the prime smallmouth weeks as it drops and clears in May. Summer: low, warm and clear - fish early and late, and expect small fish in the shrunken pools. Fall: the best month, with cool nights, good flow after rain and aggressive bass. Winter: very quiet; the river is cold and low and most anglers move to the Maury or the James.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Calfpasture River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Virginia agency site: https://dwr.virginia.gov/fishing/regulations/