Welcome to Claytor Lake Online! You will find information on the State Park, Activities, Boating, Fishing, Watersports,
and Real Estate....all pertaining to Claytor Lake!
Claytor Lake State Park
Claytor Lake State Park is located off exit 101 on Interstate-81. The park is located near the AEP Dam, and is a very wide and deep section of the lake.
Depths can reach up to 95 feet! The entire lake is 21 miles long, and over 4500 acres! There are many activities at Claytor Lake State Park, and a few of
them are listed below.
Nature Trails
You'll find enough activities here to keep you busy for an entire week! There are numerous hiking trails if you are interested in enjoying and
appreciating the great outdoors. In fact, the State Park offers Lake Ecosystem tours, Guided Hikes with guest speakers, and can include geology, astronomy,
ecology, forestry, and more! Some of the best things to sign up for are the National Trails Day, Celebration of Summer, and 4th of July celebration.
Accomodations
Accomdations are usually booked several months in advance, as demand can high for this type of outdoor environment. Some visitors to the park prefer to
"rough it" in tents, while others prefer RV-type campers. The park actually rents out cabins as well, which have full accomdations. Bathrooms, showers,
and dish washing areas are avaiable for all over night visits. For a large group day trip, you may want to consider renting a picnic shelter from the park.
Fishing
Of course visitors to the State Park are interested in passing the time as they explore all the activities. One of the most popular past-times at Claytor
Lake is fishing. You must have a valid Virginia Fishing license (both state and county) to fish at the state park. Game Wardens typically check the
licenses for any angler over the age of 16. Fishing has also become a major attraction at Claytor Lake State Park. The most plentiful fish in the lake are
referred to by the locals as "bluegills" and are a form of perch. Most commonly they are in the 6" to 8" (15 - 20 cm) range and weigh less than a pound.
Catfish are also popular in Claytor Lake, some of them getting quite large (well over 50 lbs. (22 kg)). The main sporting varieties are largemouth bass,
smallmouth bass and striped bass. Large and small mouth bass fishing tournaments are a regular seasonal event at Claytor Lake with weights of 15 to 20
lbs. (6.7 - 8.9 kg) per fisherman being an average winning catch. All tournament fishing is catch and release and most is done by local clubs.
Striped bass fishing occurs year round with various techniques. The average "striper" (as they are locally known) is about 8 lbs. (3.6 kg) but
catches close to 30 lbs (13.4 kg), have been reported.
Gift Shops
The park has great gift shop that sells trinkets, cups, stuffed animals, games, shirts, hats, bathing suits, sunglasses, and more! The gift shop is
located inside the information center near the beach. Don't forget that all important Sun Protection Lotion! You can stock up on food, drinks, and other
snacks between the beach and the gift shop.
Claytor Lake Beach
Lastly, if you like to get outdoors and tan, Claytor Lake State Park Beach is the place to be. The beach is located
inside Claytor Lake State Park. There are lifeguards on duty, a floating dock with diving boards, and a beach with shallow
areas to wade and swim in. It's great children and adults, and offers all the benefits of the ocean with the majestic scenery of the mountains
