Burnt Mills Reservoir
Burnt Mills Reservoir now open for public fishing
Burnt Mills Reservoir, located in Isle of Wight county, re-opened for public fishing on May 1, 2010. The city of Norfolk has completed repairs to the dam and has improved the parking area. Reminder : the city of Norfolk requires a fishing permit to fish in Burnt Mills, as well as other Norfolk-owned lakes. Anglers should note the ramp is still very shallow and launching and retrieving boats may be difficult. The city of Norfolk, Reservoir Manager can be reached at 757-441-5678, otherwise contact the Chesapeake DGIF office at 757-465-6812.
Burnt Mills is 711 acres and dates back to the early 1940s. The upper half of the lake is very stumpy and caution is required when motoring through the lake. The main tributary (Great Swamp) is a dense cypress swamp. The lake has good populations of largemouth bass, bluegill, chain pickerel, black crappie, and redear sunfish. Fish population surveys indicate most species have remained stable in terms of numbers and average size for the past ten years. Yellow perch appear to be increasing in abundance.
There is a dirt ramp, with limited parking, located adjacent to the dam off Route 603, a few miles west of Route 10/32.
