Virginia waters are open year round, except for occasional thin ice that doesn't support ice fishing. Warmwater fisheries are open continuously. There used to be a trout opener around the end of March or end of April, but now they have a Heritage Day.

On certain stocked trout waters (maybe 1/3 of the total), Heritage Day is recognized. These waters are closed for 1 week prior to Heritage Day so they don't all have to be stocked on the same day. Then on the Day, fishing can begin at 9am. The participating waters are supposed to be stocked with above normal numbers and sizes compared to the rest of the year. Non-participating stocked trout waters and all wild trout waters are open continuously.

There is a "trout season" from October to June when a trout stamp (extra money) is required to fish stocked trout water. This is not required in the summer because the stocked water is typically marginal, and there are few if any trout that survive during the warm months. A trout stamp is not required for wild trout fisheries or for warmwater fisheries.