# Fishing at Great Falls



## wildawes

I have been gifted two days of free time this week and would like to try fishing at Great Falls. I have never fished at this location and would love some advice from anyone with more experience. My target species is walleye, but frankly will consider any fish caught to be a success.


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## CaliYellowtail

wildawes said:


> I have been gifted two days of free time this week and would like to try fishing at Great Falls. I have never fished at this location and would love some advice from anyone with more experience. My target species is walleye, but frankly will consider any fish caught to be a success.


Yeah, there's Walleye in there. Big Cats too.


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## catman

wildawes said:


> I have been gifted two days of free time this week and would like to try fishing at Great Falls. I have never fished at this location and would love some advice from anyone with more experience. My target species is walleye, but frankly will consider any fish caught to be a success.


I've fished Great Falls a number of times and it can be a very dangerous place to fish. It's easy to slip off a rock and into the water. People drown there every year. Since this is your first trip there don't go alone and make sure your partner and you carry a 50' length of rope and some sort of throwing device. The water temps are below 50 degrees which means 5 minutes in that water could cause death. My advise would be to find a safer place to fish. Be safe out there.


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## gpwf20c

wildawes said:


> I have been gifted two days of free time this week and would like to try fishing at Great Falls. I have never fished at this location and would love some advice from anyone with more experience. My target species is walleye, but frankly will consider any fish caught to be a success.


I would never go fishing there alone, the place is cursed people die there every year. If you happen to run into a elderly black man with a creepy voice walking through the woods don't listen to what he says.


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## Tracker01

Catman thats great advice. There is a park just down the road on the Virginia side, river bend park. Also has good fishing and it's above the falls. Just be careful and enjoy, its a very pretty place.


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## Tracker01

Oh one more thing take plenty of tackle with you , there are alot if snags there.


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## Irie_Angler

Keep track of today's rain totals upstate, the river can be pretty violent with lots of giant logs floating by. Like everyone else said - be careful (and be prepared to lose gear on sunken logs) If you are going alone maybe try someplace calmer - underneath Chain Bridge or closer to Fletcher's. Be safe and good luck, let us know how it goes.


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## catman

Irie_Angler said:


> Keep track of today's rain totals upstate, the river can be pretty violent with lots of giant logs floating by. Like everyone else said - be careful (and be prepared to lose gear on sunken logs) If you are going alone maybe try someplace calmer - underneath Chain Bridge or closer to Fletcher's. Be safe and good luck, let us know how it goes.


FYI - Fletcher's Boat Landing is closed due to unsafe piers and may not open for the spring and summer season.


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## MulGoGi

I had a walk there last weekend. I saw kayakers gliding effortlessly and two girls on rocks near to the water and thought about bring my light tackles to fish there. By some coincidence, here it is! A posting on fishing Greaaat Falls. 

Freeeaaky...


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## Mastrbaitr

where on great falls are u planning on going? Some areas are okay but not around the falls. If you head north on the trail go past the water station the fishing is safer.


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## wildawes

Mastrbaitr said:


> where on great falls are u planning on going? Some areas are okay but not around the falls. If you head north on the trail go past the water station the fishing is safer.


I did some research last night, and I think Riverbend park is the safest option. I was originally considering fishing near the falls, but after reading up on the drownings I let go of that idea.


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## CaliYellowtail

wildawes said:


> I have been gifted two days of free time this week and would like to try fishing at Great Falls. I have never fished at this location and would love some advice from anyone with more experience. My target species is walleye, but frankly will consider any fish caught to be a success.


WOW! This place is bad news! Kayaker's beware.

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2010/05/if-you-enter-river-you-will-die5897

Looks like some place in Africa as seen on National Geographic. 

Any Croc's in there???


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## wildawes

CaliYellowtail said:


> WOW! This place is bad news! Kayaker's beware.
> 
> http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2010/05/if-you-enter-river-you-will-die5897
> 
> Looks like some place in Africa as seen on National Geographic.
> 
> Any Croc's in there???


I wish someone would make a documentary about the Potomac. I would love to see what the bottom looks like in various spots of the river, especially in the deeper sections.


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## Mastrbaitr

There's this one spot on the VA side right after the falls at what looks like a really deep hole but it's impossible to reach without the rangers seeing you.


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## ShayShay

catman said:


> I've fished Great Falls a number of times and it can be a very dangerous place to fish. It's easy to slip off a rock and into the water. People drown there every year. Since this is your first trip there don't go alone and make sure your partner and you carry a 50' length of rope and some sort of throwing device. The water temps are below 50 degrees which means 5 minutes in that water could cause death. My advise would be to find a safer place to fish. Be safe out there.


 Are you allowed to keep certain fish you catch there? I’ve never fished in VA only NY and I’m back into fishing again I just can’t find if it’s only catch and release or if you catch and keep it.


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## jahtez

On the Virginia side, if you take the river trail closest to Mather Gorge heading downstream you come to a bridge over a small creek. Get off the path at the bridge and follow the creek down to the river, but you'll be climbing over rocks so be careful and don't do it if it's rainy or wet. Once you're at the river there are several places where the rocks jut out into the water and behind those are back currents and eddies. These hold fish, particularly walleye and smallmouth, and the size is good up to trophy. 

You can jig plastic minnow imitations in those spots that break the current, or even cast out into the force and drag them back in (quarter casting so you don't get hung up too much). I prefer road runner jig heads as they provide some extra flash.

In the fall and winter you can use big shiners and catch some very nice walleye in there (I've caught a 3.5lb and my brother-in-law caught a 5lb) and smallies up to 4lbs. You can either free line the shiners with a tiny split shot down into the back current, or suspend them under a bobber and they will circle in the swirls for as long as you like. If you don't catch anything right away you don't have to move... the walleye move up and down the shoreline in small schools and sooner or later they will come by your spot.

But most of all BE CAREFUL! Every year a couple of people fall in and drown. It's very doable and safe if you pay attention.

And if you're in that area, look up where Difficult Run crosses Georgetown Pike (193). Park in the parking area there and follow the path down to the river alongside the creek. There's good smallmouth and walleye fishing at the creek mouth.

As for the C&R question, the Potomac belongs to Maryland, although you can use a VA license on that side, so MD rules apply to the whole river. Walleye is min. 15", keep a max. of 5. Smallmouth is min. 15", Mar1 thru Jun 15 (spawning season), and min.12 inches the rest of the year, again keeping a max of 5 (why anyone would keep a smallie, especially when they can keep walleye, is beyond me).


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