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Upper Sherando Lake (VA)

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This one’s a quickie for those of you who are looking for a traditional recreational area for your family this summer. Both the upper and lower lakes in the Sherando complex are perfect. In this post, I’ll discuss the upper lake.

After winding through the recreational area, you eventually get to the upper parking lot above the gate that you’ll walk through to reach the lake. If you walk out on the high berm, you get a good perspective of the lake and can see the access road that is used for both maintenance and stocking.

This looks like a great family weekend location. There are two nice fishing piers that were full of kids on the evening I checked this out and a couple of them caught trout while I watched. But don’t think that this is just a trout lake, bass were stocked in 2002 and have multiplied considerably.

Beyond the fishing piers, the trail leads back into the woods and you can use it to reach the small creek that feeds the lake. While I did not fish it on the day I was here, I walked the half mile back to it from the parking area to confirm that it had enough water to be interesting on a day when I have more energy. Given that it comes down from the mountain, my bet is that there are wild trout farther upstream.

From the berm high above the lake, you can also look downstream and see the start of the stocked stream as it heads into lower Sherando Lake. Like the stream below lower Sherando, it’s about 10 to 15 feet wide, shallow, and, early in the season, is covered with algae. To fish it, you need to walk considerable distances looking for the random pool that would hold a fish or two.

Bottom Line: I would come back here if I were going to fish the wild trout water that has to be above Upper Sherando lake. If you decide you want to fish the lake itself, bring spin gear because there is no room for a backcast since the trail runs directly along the shore.

Getting There: From I-64, take exit toward S Delphine Ave/Rt 624.  Rt 624 continues onto Lyndhurst Station Road.  Stay on Rt 624.  It eventually becomes Mt Torrey Road.  Follow it to the entrance to the Park on the right.  Follow the signs to the upper lake.

Google Local Coordinates: 37.914951,-79.017963

Secrets Revealed?  No.  This is a very public location that is documented on the Virginia VDGIF website

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Date Fished: 4/5/2010

Looking south from the berm

This is the start of the stocked trout stream in the Sherando complex. Note the green algae you can see even from high above the berm.

Looking upstream at the creek that feeds the head of the lake 

Looking downstream on the creek where it enters the lake 

There were plenty of families working the lake hard in early April.

This appears to be a perfect family fishing location. There is good access or little kids with a minimum of walking and no challenge associated with narrow trails with thick brush.

Unless stated otherwise, this article was authored by Steve Moore

Disclaimer and Warning:  The contents of this site reflect the opinion of the author and you, the reader, must exercise care in the use and interpretation of this information.  Fishing is a dangerous sport.  You can slip and fall on rocks and sustain severe injury.  You can drown.  You can get hooks caught in your skin, face, eyes or other sensitive places.  All sorts of bad things can happen to you when to go into the woods to visit the places documented here.  Forests, streams and lakes are wild areas and any number of bad things can happen.  You must make your own judgment in terms of acceptable behavior and risk and not rely on anything posted here.  I disclaim all liability and responsibility for any actions you take as a result of reading the articles on this site.  If you do not agree with this, you should not read anything posted on this site.

Disclaimer and Warning:  The contents of this site reflect the opinion of the author and you, the reader, must exercise care in the use and interpretation of this information.  Fishing is a dangerous sport.  You can slip and fall on rocks and sustain severe injury.  You can drown.  You can get hooks caught in your skin, face, eyes or other sensitive places.  All sorts of bad things can happen to you when to go into the woods to visit the places documented here.  Forests, streams and lakes are wild areas and any number of bad things can happen.  You must make your own judgment in terms of acceptable behavior and risk and not rely on anything posted here.  I disclaim all liability and responsibility for any actions you take as a result of reading the articles on this site.  If you do not agree with this, you should not read anything posted on this site.

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