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Lake Norman, NC
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Fishing
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To Eat or Not To Eat
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Licenses
To get a North Carolina State Fishing License in person, you may go to Walmart, Dicks, The Denver Sportsman and Piedmont Bait & Tackle as well as most bait shops that surround the lake sell fishing/hunting licenses. More information about who needs a license and to acquired one online visit NC Wildlife Commission.
You do not need a license to operate a boat on Lake Norman however, all boaters are urged to take a boater safety course before operating any vessel. Call the Lake Norman Sail & Power Squadron at 704-895-6993 for more information.
NOTE: Terry Davis of the Mecklenburg County Lake Patrol says, "There is not an absolute speed law, however, there is a reckless operation statue on the books. It states that anyone who operates a vessel in a manner that puts persons or property at risk is considered reckless operation. This is a Class 2 misdemeanor under NC sentencing guidelines."
NOTE: Boats are getting bigger and bigger on Lake Norman, but "There is no set size limit for recreational vessels at this time", said Lake Patrol Officer Davis. He further states that, "Boat operators are responsible for any damage caused by the vessel's wake. So what do you do when you see the signs and buoys that say No Wake - slow down If you see a wake behind your boat, you are going too fast. Each boat or personal watercraft produces different wakes and can vary with the way they are loaded. Some boats might produce a wake at one mile per hour and others at three, so the best rule of thumb is to turn around and look! "No wake" means, "No Wake!"
Fishing
If you do not have a boat, public is allowed at the McGuire Nuclear Plant off Highway 73, at the Plant Marshall off Highway 150 and at the Lake Norman State in Troutman NC.
Generally speaking, fish bite best early in the morning and again just before dark. Spring is a preferred time by many people, because fish are hungry and in shallow water - see Lake Levels. In the summer, night fishing is popular. Stripers like cold water, so winter is a good time to fish for them. The average depth of Lake Norman is twenty-five feet. At full pond, the deepest point is 130 feet. Catfish and stripers have been caught at depths to 100 feet.
Some people think fishing is better above the Highway 150 Bridge, but thats not necessarily the case. Ramsey, Reed, Mountain and Hagers Creeks have produced a lot of fish. In addition, both hot water discharges are located below the 150 Bridge. A lot of people fish the north end of the lake because there's less open water and is easier fishing on windy days.
Types of Fish
Catches on Lake Norman include largemouth bass, spotted bass, stripers, catfish, white perch, carp, crappie and bream. Striped Bass are normally saltwater fish, but they can swim up freshwater rivers to spawn and are able to adapt when conditions are right. In Lake Norman the striped bass are stocked annually by the North Carolina Wildlife Commission with about 162,500 fingerlings - about five fish per acre. The survival rate is only about ten percent, which leaves only 16,250 to grow to the legal size limit of twenty inches. The spotted bass has a mouth that is smaller than a largemouth bass and larger than a small mouth bass. It has a rough patch on its tongue. That allows it to securely hold a crayfish in its mouth before digesting it. Spotted bass were stocked in Lake Norman from a strain of bass native to Alabama. The spotted bass is not a hybrid, but in fact, one of seven distinct species of black bass. In 1966, the North Carolina Wildlife Commission stocked the lake with four thousand blue cats. Some of these fish are actually get really big! A blue catfish, weighing in at eighty-five pounds and a six pounds,five ounce spotted bass, hold state records. Several twenty-pound striped bass have been caught during tournaments. A long nosed, snake-like fish that you may see swimming around docks is the elongated garfish has a long nose full of needle sharp teeth. The gar's flesh is editable, but the roe is said to be poisonous.
NOTE: Grass carp are stocked in Lake Norman to control the spread of Hydrilla and other exotic weeds. It is illegal to have one in your possession!
Bait
The most popular live baits are worms, crickets, shad, herring, trout, minnows, shiners and bream. You can catch baitfish such as shad and herring on Lake Norman and most are fished at fifty feet or less. Here's how it works - a cast net is thrown over a school of bait, the bait becomes trapped when the net closes and is then pulled in. Cast nets range in size from four to twelve feet in length and open in a circle to a diameter double the length. If you are a beginner bait casters, you should learn casting fundamentals by using a four to six foot net. The colors that work best when fishing with artificial lures are white, chartreuse, brown, gray and silver.
Limits
You may use as many as poles and fishing rods as you like, because there is no limit on the number you may use. The following chart is the size and creel limits for fish caught on Lake Norman with the exception of no limits on catfish, white perch or bream.
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Bass |
14" - 5 fish per angler per day |
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Striped Bass |
20" - 4 fish per angler per day |
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Crappie |
8" - 20 fish per angler per day |
To Eat or Not to Eat
NCWRC News Release: Raleigh, N.C. May 25, 2006 - Largemouth bass and wild-caught catfish, two popular game fish in North Carolina's freshwaters, have been added to the N.C. Division of Public Health's (NCDPH) list of fish in the state with high levels of mercury. As a result of these listings, the agency recommends that women of childbearing age (age 15-44), pregnant and nursing women, and children under age 15 refrain from eating these fish. All other adults should eat only one serving per week. Largemouth bass, originally listed as high in mercury in only a portion of the state, is the first freshwater fish to make the list statewide. Wild-caught catfish, along with bowfin, chain pickerel and warm mouths, are considered high in mercury when caught south and east of Interstate 85. In addition to these fish, more than 16 saltwater fish species are listed as having high mercury levels. Among them are albacore (canned white tuna), South Atlantic grouper, king and Spanish mackerel and shark. The largemouth bass is one of the most popular game fish in the southeast. Catfish have their share of avid anglers, as well. This advisory, however, should not keep people from eating fish. "While largemouth bass and wild-caught catfish pose some health risks if consumed, there are still plenty of fish out there that are good to eat, and more importantly, good for you," said Bob Curry, chief of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission's Division of Inland Fisheries, which manages freshwater fisheries in North Carolina. Freshwater fish considered low in mercury and safe to eat include, bluegill sunfish, farm-raised catfish, farm-raised crayfish, tilapia and trout. Safe saltwater species are salmon, flounder, canned light tuna, pompano and a variety of shellfish, such as shrimp, scallops and oysters. For a complete list of freshwater and saltwater fish people should eat or avoid, visit the N.C. Division of Public Health's Web site.
Tournaments
The Bassmasters Tour occasionally hold tournaments on Lake Norman; both Men and Women's Bassmaster Tour Events. |
