From streams to lakes, the places to cast your line are seemingly endless in the Northern Shenandoah Valley, and if fly fishing is your thing, Murray's offers guided trips.

A free pamphlet on fishing regulations and seasons is available at licensing agents and each county clerk's office or by writing or calling the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries at 4010 W. Broad St., Richmond 23230. 804-367-1000 www.dgif.virginia.gov

A health advisory, issued by the Virginia Department of Health, recommends against eating fish caught between the confluence of the Shenandoah River and the West Virginia line in Clarke County, and on the North Fork from the confluence of Passage Creek downstream, and on the South Fork from the Mountain Road bridge to the main stem.

The advisory was issued in the 1980s for possible polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination on the bottom of the river and for mercury contamination. PCB is an organic, man-made carcinogen.

State residents ages 16 and older are required to obtain a fishing license before fishing on inland waters, and non-residents older than 12 need a license. Anyone needing a license also needs to purchase a National Forest Stamp when fishing in waters within the boundaries of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, except on the North and South Forks of the Shenandoah River. A separate trout license is required when trout fishing in designated stocked waters from Oct. 1 to June 15. Licenses are sold at authorized agents located throughout the region. www.dgif.virginia.gov

Frederick County/Winchester
Two designated trout streams are available:

• Paddy Run, on Va. 600 in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.


• Hogue Creek, which runs perpendicular to Va. 679 and U.S. 522, northwest of Winchester.

Several lakes are located in the county as well:

• Wilkins Lake, in Jim Barnett Park in Winchester, is open daily from dawn to dusk. The three-acre lake is stocked with trout.


• Sherando Lake, at Sherando Park on Va. 277 east of Stephens City, offers bass and perch and is open from 8 a.m. to dusk.


• Clearbrook Lake, at Clearbrook Park on U.S. 11 north of Winchester, offers trout and perch and is open from 8 a.m. to dusk.


• The Cove Campground in Gore offers fishing facilities. A fee is required for fishing. The facility's three lakes are stocked with various kinds of fish. 858-2882. www.covecampground.com


• The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries maintains the 117-acre Lake Frederick, near the intersections of U.S. 340, U.S. 522 and Va. 277, east of Stephens City at Double Tollgate. The lake is stocked with bass, sunfish, walleye, channel catfish and crappie. Lake Frederick is open 24 hours.
  
  Boating is permitted only with electric motors. A boat ramp is on site, as well as a privately owned bait and tackle shop with boat rentals.

Shenandoah County
Access points for boats to the Shenandoah River are available at the following locations:

• Moreland Gap Road, between Interstate 81 and U.S. 11 at the Shenandoah Caverns exit.


• Chapman's Landing, near Narrow Passage on the west bank of the North Fork, accessed on Chapman's Landing Road off U.S. 11, 2 miles north of Edinburg.


• Strasburg Community Park, on Queen Street in town, along the river at the end of the park's right of way.


• Elsewhere in the county at low water bridges. Most of the river flows along private property, so permission to fish or access the river there must be obtained from the owner.

Virginia keeps the following Shenandoah County streams stocked in the colder months:

• Big Stoney Creek west of Lantz Mill on Va. 675.


• Mill Creek in Mt. Jackson, off Bryce Boulevard.


• Paddy Run at Paddy Gap, off Zepp Road at the Shenandoah-Frederick County line.


• Passage Creek in Fort Valley's Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area, off Va. 678.


• Peter's Mill in Little Fort, Fort Valley, off Va. 758.


• Tomahawk Pond south of Orkney Springs on Va. 610, via Va. 263.


• Upper Passage in Crisman Hollow, Fort Valley, off Va. 678.

Other areas to fish:

• Fort Valley Ranch in Fort Valley offers catch and release year-round, including mostly large mouth bass. 933-6633 or 888-754-5771 www.fortvalleystable.com


• Orndorff's Rainbow Trout Farm, at 5140 Zepp Road, Maurertown, also offers public fishing opportunities. The farm is open March-September on weekends 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 436-3384


• Murray's Fly Shop Guide Service offers fish guiding on the Shenandoah River and nearby tributaries. 984-4212. info@murraysflyshop.com


• The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries maintains a mile stretch of Passage Creek in front of the Front Royal Fish Cultural Station, 3957 Mountain Road in Strasburg.

  This area is a catch-and-release stream from Oct. 1 to June 1.

Warren County/Front Royal
The North and South Fork of the Shenandoah River are among the nation's best for smallmouth and largemouth bass, rock bass, redbreast sunfish, bluegill, muskellunge and channel catfish.

• Trout and regular fishing is available along a mile stretch of stream in Front Royal's Gertrude E. Miller Park. 635-7750 www.warrencountyva.net


• Lake Culpeper, a two-acre, man-made lake at the Northern Virginia 4-H Educational Center, 600 4-H Center Drive in Front Royal, offers public fishing for catch and release. 635-7171

Most of the Shenandoah River flows through private land, and permission must be obtained from the owner prior to access. However, there are six public points to access the river and a low-water bridge in Warren County.

• Catlett's Ford Road, off of Guard Hill Road, 4.1 miles from the North Fork Bridge does not have a ramp but is public and suitable for launching a canoe or similar small craft. Be cautious when launching from this landing, because the Riverton Dam is 3.5 miles downstream.


• Riverton Landing is one of the county's only public points of access to the North Fork and is located on the North Fork's west bank, above the confluence of the two forks. Access is on U.S. 340-522 north of Riverton. A gravel parking area and a concrete ramp geared for power boats are on site.


• Indian Hollow Boat Launch, on the west bank of the South Fork, is about a mile west of Bentonville on Indian Hollow Road, across the low-water bridge. There is a two-acre parking lot and a gravel ramp.


• Karo Landing is five miles south of Front Royal, on the east bank of the South Fork near the entrance to Gooney Run. Accessed by U.S. 340, the site has a parking lot and gravel ramp.


• Simpson's Landing is at the end of Downing Farm Road and has a gravel parking lot, walkway and ramp. It is one mile downstream from Karo Landing.


• Front Royal Boat Landing, the last ramp on the South Fork, is near Front Royal's pumping station at the end of Luray Avenue. Constructed for canoes, the landing is gravel, and the site also has a parking lot. Front Royal Landing is six miles, and a three- to four-hour float trip from Simpson's Landing.


• Morgan's Ford Low-Water Bridge, four miles north of Front Royal on the east bank of the Shenandoah River, is off Happy Creek Road at the end of the low-water bridge. The area has a gravel lot and a one-acre parking area.

  The nearest landing downstream is 11 miles and a five- to six-hour float away at the U.S. 17-50 boat landing in Clarke County. Boaters must portage around a dam at the Riverton Landing.