Catawba River

People are surprised to learn that Catawba, the river that flows through Lake Norman, eventually empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Charleston, South Carolina.

A look at the map shows that the Catawba River has its beginnings twenty miles east of Asheville, NC in McDowell County. Along its four hundred plus mile journey through the Carolinas, it changes names several times and fills a dozen lakes with its sparkling water.

The river system is populated with a variety of freshwater fish. Its upper reaches teem with trout, walleye and smallmouth bass and other cold water species. As the river flows south and warms, largemouth, striped bass and cat fish take center stage. The river basin is the home of deer, bears, alligators, ducks, geese and a host of other wildlife, making it a paradise for nature lovers and hunters.

Lake Norman, the largest freshwater impoundment in North Carolina, is a popular destination for tournament bass fishermen, while the lakes of Santee Cooper in South Carolina, are famous for striped bass and trophy cat fish.

Fishermen tend to overlook the smaller lakes along the river system, and that’s the way the locals like it. For those who wish to try a different fishing hole, here’s what you can expect to catch on a few of them:

Lake James is near Nebo, NC, has 150 miles of shoreline and covers 6,812 acres at full pond. This cold water lake holds smallmouth bass, musky and walleye, along with largemouth, crappie, catfish and a variety of pan fish.

Lake Hickory, near Hickory, NC covers 4,223 acres with 105 miles of shoreline. Hickory has always been popular with striped bass anglers, but a recent resurgence in largemouth bass fishing has given it a new life. Five bass limits, weighing eighteen pounds or more, are common at tournament weigh-ins.

Lake Wylie is a river lake on the North and South Carolina border known for its abundance of Arkansas blue catfish and crappie. While not as large as those taken from Santee Cooper, ten pound blues are plentiful. Largemouth bass fishing is so good that Wylie hosted the 2004 Bassmasters Classic.

Lake Wateree in South Carolina is noted for crappie, shell cracker and catfish. Anglers targeting blue catfish and striped bass find Wateree a good alternative to Lake Murray. Located about thirty miles north of Columbia, SC it has 14,000 surface acres and 190 miles of shoreline.

Tips from Capt. Gus! While it’s easier to fish out of the wind, the windy side of a lake usually produces better catches.

Upcoming Events: 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 September 11th 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: Spotted bass are hitting all types of lures fished from the surface to the bottom off creek and river points. A few stripers are being taken by anglers trolling round runners and Alabama rigs in Mountain Creek and in front of Cowan’s Ford Dam. White perch have settled into their usual summer haunts and are hitting minnows and Sabiki flies just off the bottom in water to fifty feet deep.


Water Conditions:
The water level on Lake Norman is approximately 2.2' below full pond. Mountain Island Lake is 2.9' below full. Surface water temperatures are in the high seventies and low to mid-eighties, depending on location or proximity to a power plant