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 | Rapidan River (Madison County) section - Graves Mill road head VA DWR special regulation trout water - lower boundary | Regulation section limit | 38.43708, -78.36710 | Road head for DWR's named Rapidan River (Madison County) section, which covers the river and its tributaries, the Staunton included, upstream of a posted sign at the lower Shenandoah National Park boundary. |
| 2 | Rapidan River near Ruckersville USGS 01665500 - real-time stage and flow | USGS gauge | 38.28069, -78.34001 | Roster gauge for this water, on the upper river below the mountains. It is the flow reference for the whole Rapidan. |
| 3 | Elys Ford Access VA DWR - Spotsylvania Co. - hand launch | Access / boat ramp | 38.35928, -77.68546 | Hand-carry launch four and a half miles north-west of Chancellorsville on Rt 610, on the lower river. |
| 4 | Hunting Run Access VA DWR - Spotsylvania Co. - hand launch | Access / boat ramp | 38.35912, -77.63532 | Hand launch below Elys Ford, the lowest access before the Rappahannock confluence. |
Gauge: USGS 01665500 — RAPIDAN RIVER NEAR RUCKERSVILLE, VA. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Bluegill, Brook Trout, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Fallfish, Redbreast Sunfish, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass
Regulations: dwr.virginia.gov/fishing/regulations/
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Rapidan Camp and the Staunton River trailhead - hike-in access to the native brook trout water.
Graves Mill trailhead, Madison County - the standard walk-in for the upper river in the park.
Route 29 bridge at Ruckersville - bank access near the gauge on the piedmont reach.
Wolftown bridge access - a cartop launch on the upper piedmont water.
Rapidan Wildlife Management Area - public bank and wade access in Madison County.
Germanna Ford, Route 3 - a developed launch on the lower river.
Elys Ford - the lowest common takeout before the Rappahannock confluence.
Spring: brook trout come on hard in the park as the water warms, and the lower river floats well.
Summer: mountain water stays cool and fishable while the piedmont reach drops low and clear for wading.
Fall: excellent smallmouth fishing below the mountains and brook trout in spawning color above.
Winter: the park water is closed in practice by snow and cold, and the lower river fishes slowly.