Which of these NC lakes to fish - Kerr, Hyco, or High Rock

[Bumgarner]

Forgive me in advance as this will probably be a long winded post. I and 4 other friends get together in the spring every year and go on a small fishing trip. We try to find lakes that are equidistant for all of us as 2 are coming from the Charleston SC area, one from the extreme western part of NC, one from central NC and the other from coastal VA. For a number of years we fished Lake Gaston, but it got to be too long of a drive for those coming from Charleston and western NC and the lake itself, was a beast. The boat traffic was outrageous and the main lake was so choppy and rough, we nearly capsized a few times and that was in a 20 foot deep vee so we haven't been back since 2011. We fished Badin Lake for several years and while I love the lake, it's a difficult lake to fish and wasn't producing quality catches or good numbers.

 

We were contemplating trying Kerr Lake this year (around the Saddlewhite Point area), but was wondering if conditions there are the same as Gaston seeing as they are so close together and the same river. I really don't want to be white knuckling it the entire time I'm there, but also don't want to be confined to one cove due to rough conditions. I have a Stratos 275 Pro which has a 94" beam, so it's plenty stable in rough water but still not sure I'd take it across the main channel on Gaston on a rough day. I've also heard reports of lots of crime and theft in the Henderson NC area, but boats will be docked at the marina at Saddlewhite, so hopefully that is not an issue.

 

We were also contemplating Hyco Lake, which I've never been to, but were sort of turned off by the outrageous ramp fee and various other restrictions on the lake such as not fishing no wake zones or around bridges. We haven't ruled out Hyco and may be leaning more toward Hyco than the others, but the fees and restrictions do seem ridiculous.

 

The other possibility is High Rock, but not sure if we'll have anymore luck there than Badin seeing as how it is the same river channel, but High Rock definitely seems more popular than Badin. We're primarily fishing for largemouth and shooting for mid April where ever we end up going, so if anyone with more experience with these lakes than myself could chime in, I would be grateful. Thanks!

[VolFan]

Have you consedered Jordan near Raleigh?

[Sam]

Buggs Island vs. Lake Gaston

 

Two totally different types of fishing environments.

 

Lake Gaston

Water levels usually stay the same but will go up and down depending on what the Corps does.

Not as big as Buggs.

Lots of creeks and places to fish plus the main lake.

Lots of jet skiers and ski boats during the summer.

Many tournaments on the lake starting in March.

All types of structure for you to fish.

Stay in motels in South Hill that have electrical outlets to charge batteries at night unless you rent a cabin on the lake.

Poplar Creek ramp is free.

 

Buggs Island

Water levels go up and down. 300 is normal pool. 305 and up means the water is "in the bushes" which means good creek fishing.

Corps pulls water over the dam and into Lake Gaston at any time causing fish to wake up and start to feed.

Check out the pool level before you go to Buggs: http://www.kerrlakeguide.com/water_level

Read what the web page states about the water levels.

Very large lake with creeks all over the place. Eastland is a good one if the water is "in the bushes."

Lots of big tournaments out of Occoneechee State Park ramp on weekends starting in March.

State Park has nice cottages to stay. My wife and I love to stay at the state park as the cottages are outstanding.

Check out this booklet and what they write about Kerr (Buggs Island) and Lake Gaston: 

https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/media/2020-fishing-regulations.pdf

I think the Occoneechee State Park ramp is free but I am not sure. We put in at Rudds Creek when we fish Buggs Island. Eastland ramp may be free, too. I don't recall. I think the ramp fee is $10 for Rudds Creek.

 

If you go to either Buggs or Gaston please get a GMCO paper map of the lakes. And make sure your GPS is working so you can get back to the ramp. http://www.gmcomaps.com/ 

 

Have fun and be safe wherever you go.

 

 

[Bigassbass]

High Rock yes, nice medium size lake, Hyco fees are way too high as you stated Kerr Lake is huge, you have to plan on which part of the lake you're going to fish so you're fishing a part of the lake within the lake.  Trust me on this it is a huge lake!

[Bird]

Buggs island is intimidating. Lol

 

I stayed on one side then reversed back to where the wife and I were camping. 

 

Prefer lake Norman of all lakes in NC.

[lo n slo]

High Rock is a real good largemouth lake for sure and it gets beat to death, especially on the weekend. i’ve had some magical days over there. it can muddy up a bit after heavy rains too. pay attention to your map if the water is low.

 

Lake Norman should be on fire in April and it’s mostly smallish spotted bass but they’ll fight you like a crazy person. they should be right on the bank, on docks, and secondary points. downsizing can help with catching numbers. boat traffic can be a nightmare on the weekend, depending on the weather. 

[KHNC]

Randleman is better than all the above lakes mentioned. Only allows 100 boats per day on the water and is 25.00 fee per boat. Provided the fees have not gone up. Get there early in the spring

[Patrick Reif]

High Rock is the second largest lake in NC.  The only bigger lake is Lake Norman.

If you decide on High Rock, pay special attention to Abbots Creek area.

 

There are several free boat launches, and you can easily find a topo map of the lake on ebay.  It'll be a valuable tool.

 

If you guys kayak, the Yadkin river in the Pilot Mtn area has pretty good smallmouth and spotted bass.  

Closer to Winston-Salem you'll be more into spotted bas and largemouth territory.  

 

Another good kayaking destination is the New river in SW Va.  I've fished this whole river from the NC line to the WV line.  Really good smallmouth fishing that's on the rebound after several years of reduced numbers and there are so many muskies it's stupid. Claytor Lake is formed by the New River with the dam being in Radford.  It's small, but very deep.

 

 

You guys could do a multi destination trip starting at Kerr Scott Reservoir in North Wilkesboro, followed by a kayaking trip on the Yadkin in Rockford, Followed by a trip to High Rock, followed by the New River or Claytor lake.

 

Another lake you really should really consider is Smith Mountain Lake in Va.  That place can make you find Jesus when the fish are biting.