Department of Game and Inland Fisheries COVID-19 update

The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is encouraging everyone in the Commonwealth to utilize the online option for all their licensing and registration needs.

Hunters, anglers, boaters and wildlife enthusiasts can do most transactions online.

DGIF Updates

All DGIF offices will be closed for walk-in traffic until further notice.

• Henrico Headquarters
• Charles City
• Fredericksburg
• Forest
• Marion
• Verona

The DGIF Board of Directors Committee Meetings and Board Meeting scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday have been canceled. The next scheduled meetings are May 27–28.

The following changes have been made to the 2020 Trout Stocking Program:

• Heritage Day, scheduled for April 4 has been canceled.
• Stockings for Urban Program Waters and the Youth-Only Stocked Trout Program will be rescheduled and will no longer be pre-announced. All waters will still receive their full allotment of trout stockings for the season but stockings will not be announced ahead of time.
• Additionally, trout stockings at the Departments three Fee Fishing Areas (Clinch Mountain, Crooked Creek, and Douthat Lake) will not begin in early April as planned. Stockings at the Fee Areas will resume as soon as possible.
• Information on daily trout stockings can be found on the DGIF website or by calling the Trout Line at 434-525-3474.
• All DGIF fish hatcheries have been closed to the public until further notice.

The following changes have been made to hunter education classes:

• All in-person Hunter Ed classes have been postponed until after April 14 but are still available online.
• Kalkomey, the provider of hunter-ed.com, has donated 1000 courses to ensure students have the option for online education while at home. To obtain the complementary hunter education certificate, go to hunter-ed.com/virginia and use the code G1VirginiaHE202. You must register by April 14, 2020 for the free course.

The following event changes have been made:

• The Merrimac Farm WMA Bluebell Festival scheduled for April 11 has been canceled. Visitors may still enter the WMA to view the Virginia Bluebells found throughout the Cedar Run floodplain.