The glorious fresh waters of North Carolina are where all your bass fishing dreams can come true. Warm water lakes and deep reservoirs are topflight fishing destinations for anglers who have their eyes locked on prime striped and black bass and bucketmouths waiting to be hooked.
Whether you’re bottom fishing or baiting bass in warm, shallow waters, here are four of the best fishing spots in this southern state:
Lake James State Park
Escape to the beautiful mountains and Lake James where the Linville and Catawba rivers meet to create an angler’s paradise. Head out to the cool lake’s points and hidden coves for a challenging fishing adventure. The 150 miles of shoreline are framed by the gorgeous backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Fishermen can find copious amounts of largemouth bass, especially between April and October, either in early morning or late afternoon. Lake James offers incredible fishing in May, which is when white bass spawn.
Randleman River Reservoir
Randleman Dam Lake, a reservoir on the Deep River, is rich with largemouth black bass. Fishermen can boat along the 3,007-acre fishing haven that only permits 100 boats on the lake at once. You must obtain your North Carolina boat license and register at the designated check station before launching into the reservoir. For the best bucketmouth fishing, head out in the early morning when bass swim in shallow waters. NorthCarolinaSportsman.com recommends launching from Ramp Cove because of the running channel near the bank where you can find a surplus of bass traveling in the deep, cool water during the summertime. Notable fishing spots include Rocky Point, White House Drop-Off and Roadbed.
Lake Wylie
Since February is one of the best months for fishing bass, hit up Lake Wylie for largemouths, suggests GameAndFishMag.com. It’s a high-quality bass habitat that’s also very fertile. Anglers can look forward to fishing in shallow or deep waters to find fat bass that can range between 3 and 6 pounds. Take your boat near the Catawba River channel, a spot perfect for bottom-bass fishing with a jigging spoon or crankbaits. As you cruise up creeks and into deep brushes, try out your lure in the South Fork River part of Lake Wylie where bass-infested warm waters flow.
Greensboro City Lakes
The Greensboro city lakes are fresh water fishing nirvanas for bass-hungry anglers. Lake Higgins, Lake Brandt and Lake Townsend span between 280 and 1,500 acres of outstanding fishing opportunity. These lakes are stocked with threadfin shad, which means you can count on well-fed bass that will be drawn to your topwater lures and spinnerbats. Whether you’re fishing the shoreline cover or using Carolina rigs for an offshore structure, venture out into any of the Greensboro City Lakes for top-notch angling in the Old North State.
Sharon Dixon
Sharon grew up in the woods of Washington state, where she developed her love of the outdoors. When she’s not hiking, biking or camping, you can find her blogging or baking.
