Discover one of the country’s best brook trout rivers.
Hughes River brook trout
Brook trout in the Hughes River.
Fishing for brook trout on the Hughes River
Hughes River brook trout fishing
Fishing for brook trout on the Hughes River.
Called “one of the finest brook-trout rivers in the Shenandoah National Park” by FlyFisherman.com, the Hughes River flows southeast from Stony Man Mountain to join the Hazel River in Culpeper County. The headwaters, within the park, are home to wild brook trout, while the majority of the river, from the park boundary line to the Hazel, is designated scenic and is stocked with both rainbow and brown trout. Most sources advise packing both hiking shoes and waders for fishing the Hughes, as the best spots are a mile or two down a trail. Fishing is best in the spring and fall, but summer can also present opportunities if the water level doesn’t get too low.
