The natural hellgrammites are becoming active even though it is early for them to hatch. In this stage I can usually catch smallmouth by fishing a Murray's Heavy Black Hellgrammite size 4 upstream dead drift right below the riffles. Since the water temperature is still cool the bass will not be feeding as actively as they do during the summer. Bring your chest high waders and enjoy the natural beauty of the river while exploring the different public areas.
| CFS | Ft | |
| Luray (South Fork) | 3.40 | 1090 |
| Mt. Jackson (North Fork) | 3.20 | 293 |
| Strasburg (North Fork) | 2.63 | 516 |