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 | Wright Access VA DWR - Caroline Co. - 1 ramp | Access / boat ramp | 38.06043, -77.38410 | Uppermost access - hand-carry ramp off Paige Road (Rt 605) out of Bowling Green. |
| 2 | Milford Access VA DWR - Caroline Co. - hand launch | Access / boat ramp | 38.01730, -77.38041 | Hand launch at Milford, Caroline County. |
| 3 | Mattaponi River near Beulahville USGS 01674500 - real-time stage and flow | USGS gauge | 37.88389, -77.16528 | Roster gauge for this water, above the head of tide. Below Aylett the river is tidal and the gauge tells you less. |
| 4 | Aylett Access VA DWR - King William Co. - 1 ramp | Access / boat ramp | 37.78568, -77.10302 | Ramp at Aylett off Rt 360 east then Rt 600, about the head of tidewater. |
| 5 | Melrose Access VA DWR - King & Queen Co. - 1 ramp | Access / boat ramp | 37.63718, -76.85501 | Ramp reached from King & Queen Court House by Rt 14 south then Rt 602, on the tidal river. |
| 6 | Waterfence Access VA DWR - King & Queen Co. - 1 ramp | Access / boat ramp | 37.59206, -76.79874 | Ramp reached from West Point by Rt 33 east, SR 14 and SC 611. |
| 7 | West Point Access VA DWR - King William Co. - 2 ramps | Access / boat ramp | 37.54066, -76.78966 | Two ramps in the town of West Point on Rt 33, at the Pamunkey confluence where the York River begins. |
Gauge: USGS 01674500 — MATTAPONI RIVER NEAR BEULAHVILLE, VA. Live flow on the web page.
Species: American Eel, American Shad, Blue Catfish, Bowfin, Chain Pickerel, Channel Catfish, Hickory Shad, Largemouth Bass, Longnose Gar, Striped Bass, White Perch, Yellow Perch
Regulations: dwr.virginia.gov/fishing/regulations/
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Aylett landing - the main public ramp near the head of tide.
Walkerton landing - a long-established access point on the middle tidal river.
King and Queen Courthouse area landings - county access to the lower river.
West Point waterfront - access at the York confluence.
Zoar State Forest, Aylett - walk-in and paddle access with river frontage.
Mattaponi Wildlife Management Area - marsh and shoreline access on the lower river.
Route 360 crossing at Aylett - bank fishing at a traditional shad-run spot.
Spring: the peak - shad and herring push upriver, perch spawn, and stripers follow the bait in on the tide.
Summer: blue and channel catfish dominate the tidal river while largemouth and bowfin hold in the blackwater above.
Fall: excellent for largemouth and pickerel as the water cools, with striped bass active on the lower river.
Winter: perch fishing is the mainstay, concentrated in the deeper t