Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackford Bridge Access VA DWR - Russell Co. - hand launch | Access / boat ramp | 36.99657, -81.94378 | Uppermost mapped access, Russell County. Hand launch. |
| 2 | Puckett's Hole Access VA DWR - Russell Co. - hand launch | Access / boat ramp | 36.96997, -82.01379 | Hand launch, Russell County. |
| 3 | Nash's Ford Access VA DWR - Russell Co. - hand launch | Access / boat ramp | 36.96702, -82.07915 | Hand launch above Cleveland. |
| 4 | Clinch River at Cleveland USGS 03524000 - real-time stage and flow | USGS gauge | 36.94483, -82.15486 | Roster gauge for this water. This river is famously mussel-rich; read the gauge before wading. |
| 5 | Carterton Access VA DWR - Russell Co. - hand launch | Access / boat ramp | 36.91521, -82.22150 | Hand launch below the Cleveland gauge. |
| 6 | St Paul Access VA DWR - Wise Co. - hand launch | Access / boat ramp | 36.90307, -82.30759 | Hand launch at St Paul, Wise County. |
| 7 | Dungannon Access VA DWR - Scott Co. - hand launch | Access / boat ramp | 36.83107, -82.46221 | Hand launch at Dungannon, Scott County. |
| 8 | Clinch Port Access VA DWR - Scott Co. - hand launch | Access / boat ramp | 36.67591, -82.74246 | Hand launch at Clinchport. |
| 9 | State Line Access VA DWR - Scott Co. - hand launch | Access / boat ramp | 36.59921, -82.88019 | Lowest Virginia access, at the Tennessee line above Norris Lake. |
Gauge: USGS 03524000 — CLINCH RIVER AT CLEVELAND, VA. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Muskellunge, Redbreast Sunfish, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Walleye
Regulations: dwr.virginia.gov/fishing/regulations/
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Cleveland river access at the USGS gauge - the flow and temperature reference and a standard put-in.
St. Paul river access - the best-known take-out and the hub of the local float trade.
Clinch River State Park accesses - the linear park's chain of public launches along the corridor.
Dungannon access - lower-river put-in toward the Tennessee line.
Richlands and Cedar Bluff accesses - upper-river launches on smaller water.
Nash Ford and Blackford accesses - middle-river landings between Cleveland and St. Paul.
Guest River confluence area - tributary mouth access and a cold-water inflow.
Spring: high and stained through March and early April, then the best smallmouth fishing of the year begins as water warms in May.
Summer: low, clear and technical; float early, fish the shade and expect long slow pools between ledges.
Fall: September and October bring steady flow and strong smallmouth fishing, with muskellunge picking up as water cools.
Winter: high and cold more often than not,