Stewardship
Responsible harvest and catch and release
Keep what you will actually eat, release what you will not, and know the rules before you decide.
Take home a meal, not a trophy pile
A few fillets eaten fresh are better than a freezer full of forgotten bags. Harvesting modestly also keeps you well inside legal limits.
Release the fish that matter most
Large spawning adults contribute far more to future fishing than to dinner, and their flesh quality is often worse. Photograph and release them.
Rules change — check them every season
Sizes, seasons, and limits are actively managed and can change mid-year. This guide intentionally publishes none of them; VMRC and DWR are the only reliable sources.