• Lake Norman Fishing Report - NC

    Fishin' With Gus
    (704) 617-6812 http://www.fishingwithgus.com/index.php Gus@LakeNorman.com
  • With Capt. Gus you will learn fishing techniques that will improve your fishing and allow you to catch more fish on you own boat. Light tackle is used to maximize the excitement of lake fishing. Guide boats can accommodate from one to six anglers. Fishing guides are available year round. They fish daily, including weekends and holidays.

  • Lake Norman Fishing Report - NC

    Lake Conditions: Lake Norman is mostly clear with surface water temperatures mainly in the fifties in open waters not affected by power generation. The water level is about 2.7’ below full pond on Lake Norman and 2.9' below full on Mountain Island Lake.




    How many times have you heard the expression, “You should have been here yesterday?” Yesterday happened for fifteen year old Hunter Foreman on Sunday, November 23rd. The weather forecast was light rain early, becoming heavy later in the day - perfect conditions for catching surface feeding stripers, hybrids and spotted bass.

    From 7 until 8 a.m., Hunter caught hybrid striped bass, after bass, after bass. The fish, mostly between seventeen and twenty-one inches long, were hitting baitfish they had chased to the surface. To add to the excitement, hundreds of screeching terns and gulls were diving and snaring forage fish that the hybrids had missed.

    The action slowed, which gave Hunter a chance to catch his breath and rest. At the next spot, the birds were flying higher and not as active, an indication that the fish were deeper. We switched to jigging spoons and began to vertically jig with Sabiki rigs. Hunter’s good luck continued, as evidenced by the white perch and spotted bass he caught each time he dropped his lure near the bottom. On the way back to the landing, we cast a couple of Alabama Rigs under another flock of sea birds, and Hunter landed three of his biggest hybrids of the day, before they sounded.

    The common thread on this trip was casting lures under diving birds. At times, like Sunday, the birds are everywhere, but on some days, they can be difficult to locate. Sometimes they might not be flying, or they may have possibly moved to another area. If you are among the many who believe that the sea birds are where the fish are, seek them out. An easy way to keep track of their whereabouts is to drive around the lake in the comfort of your car or truck. Bring someone with you to watch for diving birds while you drive.
    Look for them on either side of the twenty-plus bridges that cross the lake. Public boat access
    ramps, private marinas, and lakeside restaurants also offer wide vistas. Other great views are from the I-77 causeways that span the headwaters of Davidson and Reeds Creeks on Norman’s east bank, the bluffs in the Lake Norman State Park and from numerous empty lots/fields scattered around the lake.

    Tips from Capt. Gus! Binoculars are a must for finding birds from a distance. Don’t leave home without them.

    Hot Spots: Hybrid striped bass are being caught in most major creek arms. Reed, Mountain and Stumpy Creeks have been very productive. Best live baits to use are shad, herring and shiners. As for artificial lures, the Alabama rig is popular, but about any lure that catches bass, will also tempt hybrids. Bass fishing is very good, with nice catches coming off boat docks and rip rap points early in the day. White perch like the cooler lake temperatures. The larger fish are suspended in thirty to fifty feet of water.

    Stocking Stuffer – “Wildlife in North Carolina” is the official magazine of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. Give a one year, eight issue subscription for $12 or a three year, twenty-four issue for $30. To order, visit www.ncwildlife.org.



    Capt. Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is an Outdoor Columnist and a full time Professional Fishing Guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his website @www.Fishingwithgus.com or call 704-617-6812.
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