Leesville Lake

Boat Ramps: 4
Access Points: 5
Species: 16

Leesville Lake is a 3,400-acre impoundment located near Altavista, Virginia, straddling Pittsylvania, Campbell, and Bedford Counties. This reservoir is owned by American Electric Power and serves primarily for hydroelectric power generation and as pump-back storage for Smith Mountain Lake. The lake extends approximately 17 miles in length with a maximum depth of around 40 feet. One of Leesville's most distinctive characteristics is its dramatic water level fluctuations, which can vary up to 10 feet per day due to power generation activities. While these fluctuations create a challenging environment for fish and anglers alike, they also contribute to a less crowded fishing experience compared to other Virginia lakes. Leesville Lake is perhaps best known for producing Virginia's state record striped bass in 2000.

Virginia licenses and regulations4 to check before you go

Species & education

Learn what type of fish are at Leesville Lake and what's needed to catch them.

Find which waters have the species you want to catch

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

Smallmouth Bass

Micropterus dolomieu

Walleye

Sander vitreus

Black Crappie

Pomoxis nigromaculatus

Blue Catfish

Ictalurus furcatus

Bluegill Sunfish

Lepomis macrochirus

Channel Catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

Common Carp

Cyprinus carpio

Flathead Catfish

Pylodictis olivaris

Green Sunfish

Lepomis cyanellus

Redbreast Sunfish

Lepomis auritus

Striped Bass

Morone saxatilis

White Bass

Morone chrysops

White Catfish

Ameiurus catus

White Crappie

Pomoxis annularis

White Perch

Morone americana

Fishing spots, boat ramps & amenities

Learn how to get on Leesville Lake. Uncover great fishing access points, boat ramps, and all the facilities you need for an unforgettable day on the water. Some locations shown may border or include private property. Always check property boundaries and applicable regulations before visiting. onWater's Public & Private Land layer can help you plan your access with confidence.

Leesville Dam Access

Access Point

Know where you can legally fish on Leesville Lake

See public and private land boundaries along the water, turn on private parcels with owner details to know where permission is required, and find land-trust parcels that offer permitted fishing access.

Virginia licenses and regulations

Virginia Boating Regulations

When using any type of watercraft to access a body of water, it is important to follow all federal, state, and local rules and regulations. These rules and regulations include boat permitting and licensing, invasive species inspections and stamps, life jacket and PFD rules, motor size and horsepower restrictions, noise limitations, restrictions on personal watercraft, and many more. Visit the web link below for the most current rules and regulations for this body of water.

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Virginia Stream Access Laws

Virginia uses a strict navigable in fact test, where waterways must be capable of commercial trade and travel in their natural condition and public access is limited where navigable waters border private land. The state law isn’t fully developed and is arguably stricter than the federal title test. While state law is confusing and hasn’t been friendly to public access in the past, a 2015 court case opened up 14 rivers to public use that were previously off limits.

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Virginia Fishing License

A Virginia fishing license is required for residents and non-residents, age 16 and over.

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Virginia Fishing Regulations

This river has a variety of species and regulations, including potential floating and/or watercraft restrictions. Because this river is specially managed for species, seasons, angling methods, and watercraft, it is strongly encouraged you check all federal, state, and local regulations before fishing. Visit any of the links below, inquire locally, or contact a local fly shop to learn current regulations and restrictions.

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Take Leesville Lake with you

The onWater Fish app keeps this water's access points, species and conditions in your pocket, with the tools you use once you're there.

Use the map without signal
Download the map around Leesville Lake to use it offline when coverage drops.
Log your catches here
Keep a private fishing journal for Leesville Lake to find where and when fish are biting for you.
HD depth charts from Garmin
Find drop offs, ledges, channels, points and shallow flats with Garmin depth charts in the app.