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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 4. Conservation And Natural Resources
Agency 15. Department of Wildlife Resources
Chapter 350. Fish: Gigs, Grab Hooks, Trotlines, Snares, Etc
11/23/2024

4VAC15-350-70. Taking of fish with bow and arrow or crossbow.

A. Season. Except as otherwise provided by local legislation or as posted, it shall be lawful to take common carp, northern snakehead, goldfish, and longnose gar from the public inland waters of the Commonwealth, grass carp from public rivers and streams of the Commonwealth except public inland lakes and reservoirs, and bowfin and catfish from below the fall line in tidal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay, except waters stocked with trout, by means of bow and arrow or crossbow.

B. Poison arrows or explosive-head arrows prohibited. It shall be unlawful to use poison arrows or arrows with explosive heads at any time in the public inland waters of the Commonwealth.

C. Fishing license required. All persons taking fish in the manner described in this section shall be required to have a regular fishing license.

D. Creel limits. The creel limits for common carp, grass carp, northern snakehead, goldfish, and catfish shall be unlimited, provided that any angler taking northern snakehead immediately kill such fish and notify the department, as soon as practicable, of such actions and provided that any angler taking grass carp ensure that harvested fish are dead. The creel limit for bowfin and longnose gar shall be five fish per day from July 1 to April 14 and one fish per day from April 15 to June 30.

E. Retention requirement. Any common carp, grass carp, northern snakehead, goldfish, catfish, longnose gar, or bowfin taken with bow and arrow or crossbow must be retained and may not be released back into or disposed of in the water. Any common carp, grass carp, northern snakehead, goldfish, longnose gar, or bowfin taken with bow and arrow or crossbow may not be disposed of on property abutting the body of water of capture. These requirements shall not apply to private bodies of water or private property abutting the body of water of capture.

Statutory Authority

§§ 29.1-103, 29.1-501, and 29.1-502 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR325-03-4 § 7, eff. July 1, 1981; amended, Virginia Register Volume 13, Issue 5, eff. January 1, 1997; Volume 24, Issue 10, eff. January 1, 2008; Volume 29, Issue 9, eff. January 1, 2013; Volume 33, Issue 10, eff. January 1, 2017; Volume 35, Issue 2, eff. January 1, 2019; Volume 37, Issue 7, eff. January 1, 2021; Volume 39, Issue 9, eff. January 1, 2023.

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