The Smith River below Philpott Dam is Virginia's oldest tailwater and makes a strong case for being the best wild brown trout stream in the eastern United States. None of that is obvious when you first stand on its banks. The river runs slow and flat through a largely suburban landscape in Henry County, the pools are gin clear and weedy, and the whole thing looks more like a lazy warmwater river than a trout fishery. Then you start fishing and the reality becomes clear. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources estimates that 60 percent of all the water in Virginia supporting naturally reproducing brown trout flows through the Smith. Brown trout moved into the tailwater almost immediately after Philpott Dam was completed in 1953, found the cold bottom-release water to their liking, and started reproducing. The Virginia historic state record for the species, an 18-pound, 11-ounce brown caught by a Martinsville man in 1979, came from this river. The fish are still here, still wild, and still large.
April is a solid starting point when the river is active and accessible, but May and June are the months that define the Smith River experience. The hatches during these two months are described by multiple sources as massive and legendary — Eastern Pale Evening Duns kick things off in May followed by Sulphurs, Light Cahills, caddis, and olive midges all overlapping through June. Brown trout that have been feeding subsurface all winter come to the surface aggressively during these hatches, and the clear water makes the surface feeding visible and targetable. Summer remains productive given the cold tailwater releases that keep water temperatures in the trout zone even during the hottest weeks. Terrestrial patterns take over from July through September. Fall rewards patient anglers with aggressive pre-spawn browns through October and November, particularly in the lower section. Winter fishing with midges and nymphs holds up year-round.
Wild brown trout dominate the tailwater, with fish averaging 6 to 12 inches in the upper sections and growing larger as you move downstream. The lower special regulation section below Fieldale produces the river's largest fish, with 12 to 18 inch browns common and legitimate trophy fish exceeding 20 inches taken annually. Stocked rainbow trout appear in the two designated stocked sections near the dam and through North Bassett. Brook trout are present in smaller numbers. Below Martinsville Dam, as the tailwater effect diminishes, smallmouth bass become the dominant species and the river transitions to a warmwater fishery.
The entire 31-mile special regulation section from Philpott Dam to State Route 636 is open year-round. Brown trout between 10 and 24 inches must be released immediately throughout this section; only one brown over 24 inches may be kept. The 3-mile quality trout area from Town Creek to the CR 666 bridge at Bassett requires single-hook artificial lures only with a 16-inch minimum and 2-fish daily limit. The two stocked trout sections require an additional stocked trout license from October 1 through June 15. Henry County Parks and Recreation and the Dan River Basin Association maintain nine public access points. Float fishing with a drift boat or canoe covers the most water and is the preferred approach for most of the river. The generation schedule at Philpott Dam is critical information before any trip — call 276-629-2432. When turbines run, do not wade the Smith River.
Flow data reflects current discharge from Philpott Dam. The Smith River gauge provides real-time readings, but the generation schedule hotline at 276-629-2432 is the essential resource before any trip. Dam releases can raise the river 2 to 3 feet in a short period. The best wading windows are during low or no-generation periods, typically early morning before generation begins. Float fishing allows anglers to fish effectively at a wider range of flows than wading permits.