Virginia loses about 130,000 trout at Coursey Springs Hatchery; stockings in 11 counties will shrink

Trout anglers in western and northern Virginia will see lighter stockings this season. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources says roughly 130,000 trout were lost at its Coursey Springs Fish Hatchery after a recirculation pump shut off overnight. Drought-driven low water and seasonal pathogens added to the losses.

Coursey Springs supplies 72 stocked waters in 11 counties: Alleghany, Augusta, Bath, Fauquier, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah and Warren. DWR says stockings on those waters will be reduced, not canceled. It plans to divert surplus trout from its other cold-water hatcheries to cover part of the gap.

The agency runs nine hatcheries, four warm-water and five cold-water, which together produce close to 5 million fish. Anglers who fish the affected counties should check DWR's trout stocking updates before heading out this fall and winter.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources — Recent Fish Stock Loss Will Affect Stocking Activities in Several Counties (Oct. 23, 2026).