Pandapas Pond

Stream Category: A

Wild Fish: Bass, Bluegill, Crappie, Chain Pickerel, Carp, Brook, and Rainbow Trout

Gear:

• Dry Flies: Damsel, Midges, Adams, BWOs, Stimulators, Pheasant Tail, Caddis, Terrestrials, and Poppers (for Bass)
• Nymphs : Damsel, Chironomid, Pheasant Tail, Prince, Hares Ear, Zebra, and Blood Worms
• Streamers: Wooly Bugger, Minnow, and Leech Patterns
• Rod: 9’-10’, Spey
• Waders: Yes
• Net: Yes
• Float Tube
• Polarized Fishing Sunglasses

Casting: Back and Roll

About:

Whoever named Pandapas Pond must have liked the way the two words roll off the tongue because Pandapas is not a Pond but a small lake. This manmade 8 acre pond is located minutes away from downtown Blacksburg between Sinking Creek Mountain and Brush Mountain in the Jefferson National Forest. Known to local residents for its beautiful scenery, wildlife, and its hiking trails; this is a great place for those of all ages looking for still water fishing in the New River Valley.

While Pandapas Pond holds a variety of species of fish year round, the state of Virginia stocks it heavily between October and May with rainbow and brook trout. Fly fishing from the banks here can be a bit awkward unless you have a spey rod. This is due to the high volume of people walking on the trail around Pandapas Pond, if you don’t check each and every back cast you will hook someone. Furthermore don’t even attempt to wade out into the pond either, you will find yourself in water above your head just after a few steps from the bank.

Without a float tube I wouldn’t even recommend Pandapas Pond to fly fishermen, just bring a spin rod. However if you are able to get out into the pond you will find yourself with the chance to catch citation size trout in seconds. My favorite flies for this pond are chironomids, blood worms, and weighted wooly buggers, you will want these flies to sink deep to get to the bigger trout.

Additional Notes and Precautions:

Pandapas Pond is open to the public from sunrise to sunset each and every day. There are two free parking areas; both will requires a short hike however the second parking lot is handicapped accessible. The gates leading to the pond does blocks people from launching a larger boat, make sure if you bring an inflatable that you can carry it for more than 50 yards.

Directions from Blacksburg, VA:

Take US-460 West towards Pembroke. Then turn left onto Forest Service Rd 808 (entrance to Pandapas Pond). The first Parking area will be on your left as you turn onto this road and the second parking area will be the area where the road dead ends.