• Lake Norman Fishing Report

    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

    Water, water everywhere! That’s how it’s been on area lakes along the Catawba River Basin for most of the summer. Flood waters bring with them a tremendous amount of debris and flotsam that eventually washes its way through the system. In the meantime, trees, poles and remnants of boat docks are floating aimlessly.

    On Lake Norman, the area north from the Highway 150 Bridge to Buffalo Shoals has been extremely hazardous to boaters. So hazardous, in fact, that some wake boarders, skiers, tubers and fishermen have elected to do their boating downstream, where the water is cleaner and contains less flotsam.

    High water levels often give boaters a false sense of security and tempt them to take short cuts over shallow points, sand bars and between islands they normally wouldn’t attempt to pass. Even worse, are the areas identified with shoal markers, most of which are not navigable even at full pond. Boaters, who venture too close, risk the chance of grounding or shearing off a propeller blade as they travel.

    Bridges act as dams that trap debris around their pilings. Other unseen hazards are the bridge pilings themselves that have submerged footers extending from the sides. Hitting either, will ruin a day on the lake. . Additionally, vertical bridge clearance must be considered when water levels are high. Before attempting to pass through, verify that fishing rods, antennas and other super structure will clear the underside of the bridge.

    Finally, a word about boater courtesy. Wakes created by boats do considerable damage to the shoreline when water conditions are normal. But, when the lake is out of its banks, the damage is severe. Boat wakes erode the dirt or fill behind sea-walls and rip-rap rock and cause the walls to collapse and the rocks to tumble into the lake bottom. To help save the shoreline, maintain a no wake speed when traveling through narrow passageways.

    Tips from Capt. Gus! - A “shoal” is a shallow place in a body of water that might be exposed when the water is low or covered when the water rises. Some, but not all, are identified on Lake Norman with a white diamond shaped sign with the word “SHOAL” printed on it. Those mounted to poles have a flashing white light visible at night.

    A free safe boating class on “How to Navigate Lake Norman Day or Night” will be held at Morning Star Marina, Kings Point, Exit 28, Cornelius, NC on August 14th beginning at 6:30 p.m. Becky Johnson and I will cover topics that include “Understanding LKN’s Channel Marker and Buoy System”, “How to Avoid Shallow Water”,” The Ten Most Dangerous Spots”, and “Interpreting Lake Maps”. For more information, call Becky Johnson at 704 892 7575.

    Fishing Report: Bass are hitting jerk baits around partially submerged stumps and button bush. Small spotted bass are surface feeding off points and in both hot holes throughout the day. White perch, lots of them, are hitting Sabiki rigs in water to fifty feet. Cat fishing for blues and channels is good to very good with cut bream and chicken parts for bait.

    Water Conditions:
    The water level on Lake Norman is approximately 1.6' below full pond. Mountain Island Lake is 3.0' below full. Surface water temperatures are in the low to mid eighties, depending on location or proximity to a
    power plant.
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