Shenandoah National Park Lifts Fishing Ban

Photo byDmitri Draovitch Pexels

LURAY, Va. – Recent rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby has significantly raised water levels in a popular fishing area.

According to an emailed media statement from Visual Information Specialist Allysah Fox, Shenandoah National Park officials have lifted a parkwide fishing closure, effective immediately.

Extremely dry conditions and low stream flows prompted the ban on June 27. However, the park received between four and eight inches of precipitation since August 8.

The park’s office of Natural and Cultural Resources reminds anglers to be gentle with the park’s fish and the fragile environment they inhabit.

“The drought this summer created stressful conditions for [the fish], so try to minimize the time they are out of the water before you release them,” said Evan Childress, Chief of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Consisting of nearly 197,000 acres, including 80,000 acres of congressionally designated wilderness, the park encompasses parts of eight counties.

Each year, millions visit the area, which includes the 105-mile Skyline Drive and 75 designated scenic overlooks. The park also includes established campgrounds and 101 miles of the famed Appalachian Trail, on which visitors hike and often overnight camp.

Luray, Virginia is home to Shenandoah National Park Headquarters.