Maury River Fishing Guides
A scenic Rockbridge County river running out of Goshen Pass past Lexington to the James, with a strong small-water smallmouth fishery and stocked trout up top.
Guides on the Maury River
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About the Maury River
The Maury begins where the Calfpasture and Little Calfpasture rivers meet above Goshen Pass, drops through the pass itself in a boulder-strewn gorge, and then settles into a pleasant valley river past Rockbridge Baths and Lexington before joining the James at Glasgow. The gauge sits at Rockbridge Baths, just below the pass, which makes it a good reference for both the whitewater section above and the float water below.
Below the pass this is smallmouth country. The Maury is smaller than the Shenandoah or the James, which suits anglers who prefer a river they can read in a single glance and wade across at summer levels. Ledges, gravel shoals and shaded deep bends hold good numbers of smallmouth, and rock bass and redbreast sunfish are abundant enough to keep a light rod busy all day. Channel catfish hold in the deeper pools toward Lexington and below. Up in Goshen Pass the character changes: the water is colder and steeper, and Virginia stocks trout in the pass, giving the river a genuine two-species personality within a few miles. The valley below the pass is limestone country, and the resulting water chemistry is part of why a river this size supports the forage base and the bass numbers that it does.
The Maury is a beautiful river and it draws a lot of non-anglers, particularly through Goshen Pass in summer, so early starts help. It is also a flashy mountain-fed river that rises fast after storms in the Calfpasture headwaters and clears within a couple of days. This gauge reports discharge only, with no water temperature series, so summer thermal conditions have to be judged from weather and from the trout water up in the pass. Float access is good for a river this size, with several established landings between Rockbridge Baths and the James confluence at Glasgow.
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Access
Goshen Pass wayside on Route 39 - upper river access to the gorge and the stocked trout water.
Rockbridge Baths access near the gauge - convenient mid-river put-in.
Route 39 pull-offs above Lexington - roadside wading access on the middle river.
Jordans Point Park in Lexington - developed town access with parking and a launch.
East Lexington access at the Route 60 crossing - middle river float access.
Ben Salem Wayside on Route 60 - lower river access with parking and a canal lock landmark.
Glasgow landing at the James confluence - the bottom of the Maury and a common take-out.
Seasons
Spring: high water from mountain rain, trout stocking in Goshen Pass and a smallmouth prespawn by late May.
Summer: low, clear and wadable, the best smallmouth and sunfish months with heavy recreational use in the pass.
Fall: cool water, feeding smallmouth on the shoals and the quietest and prettiest weeks of the year.
Winter: cold and frequently high, slow deep fishing with occasional good days between storms.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Maury River?
As of Sep 17, 5:00 am, the USGS gauge MAURY RIVER AT ROCKBRIDGE BATHS, VA reads 14 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Maury River?
Anglers target Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout, Redbreast Sunfish, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass on the Maury River in Virginia.
Where can you access the Maury River?
Goshen Pass wayside on Route 39 - upper river access to the gorge and the stocked trout water. Rockbridge Baths access near the gauge - convenient mid-river put-in. Route 39 pull-offs above Lexington - roadside wading access on the middle river. Jordans Point Park in Lexington - developed town access with parking and a launch. East Lexington access at the Route 60 crossing - middle river float access. Ben Salem Wayside on Route 60 - lower river access with parking and a canal lock landmark. Glasgow landing at the James confluence - the bottom of the Maury and a common take-out.
When is the best time to fish the Maury River?
Spring: high water from mountain rain, trout stocking in Goshen Pass and a smallmouth prespawn by late May. Summer: low, clear and wadable, the best smallmouth and sunfish months with heavy recreational use in the pass. Fall: cool water, feeding smallmouth on the shoals and the quietest and prettiest weeks of the year. Winter: cold and frequently high, slow deep fishing with occasional good days between storms.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Maury River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Virginia agency site: https://dwr.virginia.gov/fishing/regulations/