Fishing provides many benefits including food and recreational enjoyment.
Many anglers keep, cook and eat their catches.
Fish are routinely monitored for contaminants by the Department of Environmental Quality. While the vast majority of the state's waters have no dangerous levels of contaminants, sometimes the fish in certain waters are found to contain potentially harmful levels of chemicals. When this happens, the Department of Health issues warnings for the affected bodies of water. As a service to anglers, a list of waters subject to Virginia Department of Health restrictions and health advisories is included. Anglers should realize that they may still fish these waters and enjoy excellent recreational fishing.