James River (Buchanan)

Live conditions for James River (Buchanan): the gauge, the water temperature, the trend, and what the water is doing today — read the way a guide reads it.

Right now

418cfs→ lowfishable

Inside the wade band, stable low · +4.5% over the last 6 hours.

Water temp—

Stage2.02 ft

Engine callGO 406 cfs in the wade band

Gauge read 8:00 AM CDT · USGS 02019500. Readings refresh every few minutes.

The water

James River (Buchanan) is a freestone river in Roanoke, Virginia, fished for smallmouth bass, musky, redeye bass, panfish, catfish. On free-flowing water the trajectory is the story: falling and clearing after a bump is the window, rising water pushes fish to the banks and brings colour.

smallmouth bassmuskyredeye basspanfishcatfish

Wade and float bands in cfs, the safety notes and the 14-day trend are on the signed-in river page.

Access

Iron Gatewalk in
Glen Wiltonwalk in
Galawalk in
Craig Creek (Eagle Rock)walk in
Horseshoe Bendramp
Springwoodramp
Buchananramp
Arcadiacarry

Directions to the put-in or wade access ride on every briefing.

The briefing

Know before you drive to James River.

Every morning OUTFISH reads this gauge, the dam schedule, the water temperature, the sky and the tips library, and writes one plain-language call for the waters you track: go or stay home, wade or float, when to be on the water, where to put in, what to tie on — with directions.

Start free — 7 days of Guide

Signed in: the wade and float bands, the full hatch calendar, safety notes, the 14-day trend, shop reports and today's briefing for this water.

This month

Active in October:

012345678

The full calendar by month, with notes, is on the signed-in river page.

Verify it yourself

The same sources the engine reads, straight from the agency:

USGS gauge ↗

More water in Roanoke, Virginia

New River (Radford, below Claytor)