OK so this might sound like a dumb question, but like all questions you won't know the answer unless you ask.

I was raised in Louisa County and for the most part my fishing experiences consisted of private pond fishing at friends/family ponds. On few occasions I've fished off a dock at a friend's house at Lake Anna. What I'm saying is I have never gone to a public lake to fish. :-[

Besides having a statewide freshwater fishing license is there anything else that I need? Do I just show up, walk up to the water and cast? Do I need to purchase a daily license for that specific lake? Are their time limits to when I can fish (sunrise to sunset)? Can I fish from any location I can walk to or is their specific locations for bank/docker fishers?

I ask all these questions because I am currently living in Newport News and I do not know anyone in the area that has a pond that I can fish in. I am having a terrible itch to get out to the water and can not make the two and half hour trip back and forth to Louisa each weekend.

Your help will be greatly appreciated.

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/waterbodies/?type=1

Great questions!  It's better to ask than to get a ticket for trespassing.  To bank fish you need to make sure you have permission to fish the property. This is not always easy to come by.  There are literally hundreds of places in your area to fish....just ask.  

Just a state freshwater fishing license will do unless saltwater fishing or fishing on national forest which you'll probably not do.

Burley thanks for the link! I see they have the regulations and what not posted for each lake.

drmnbig you are correct I do not plan to do any saltwater fishing.

Thanks for the help, guess I will be making a trip to the water on Sunday if the weather is fair.

Burley has sent you in the right direction.

Go to Wal-Mart and pick up a copy of the Virginia DGIF 2009 Freshwater Fishing in Virginia booklet.

It lists the various places to fish all over the state and gives you the same info Burley gave you, but you now will have a hard copy.

Keep your Virginia fishing license as you will need it.  Make a photocopy of it and keep the photocopy at home just in case you lose it.

Some docks have a fee while others do not.

Walking around a lake is difficult due to the foliage and property owners.

Even Mount Trashmore is a pain as there is a fence around it and you are not supposed to fish off the dock.

Good luck.  

Thanks Sam. I will definitely pick up a copy the next time I am in Wal-Mart.