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John H. Kerr Reservoir is a public lake in Vance County, Warren County and Granville County, North Carolina, managed by NC Wildlife Resources Commission. It is public water managed for fishing by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. Public access confirmed via marquee water.
Kerr Lake / Buggs Island Lake (48,900 ac) on the Roanoke at the Virginia line — a landlocked striped-bass fishery (fall and spring the fish school and chase bait on top), largemouth bass, white perch, slab crappie and trophy catfish. A North Carolina or Virginia licence fishes the whole lake.
John H. Kerr Reservoir covers about 44,895 acres in the Foothills & Piedmont region. Anglers here mostly fish for largemouth bass, striped bass, white perch, black crappie; white crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, blue catfish are also on record. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Nutbush Creek and Little Nutbush Creek.
Species from NCWRC access and trout-water data.
Night fishing: No statewide night-fishing closure in North Carolina. Trotlines, set-hooks and jugs are legal on most inland waters with a licence and gear tags (not on Public Mountain Trout Waters or designated impoundments). Some NCWRC boating access areas gate at night; the Community Fishing Program lakes have posted hours.
Boats: The big Duke, Alcoa/Cube and Corps reservoirs have no horsepower limit; idle-speed / no-wake zones are marked near ramps, marinas, bridges and dams, and the tailrace areas are restricted. Natural coastal lakes (Mattamuskeet, Phelps, the Bladen Lakes) and many small NCWRC impoundments are trolling-motor or small-outboard only. NC requires a boater-education card for operators born on or after 1 Jan 1988.
Bank & bivvy camping: Camp at North Carolina state parks (which sit on many of the best lakes — James, Jordan, Falls, Waccamaw, Mattamuskeet-adjacent), Corps of Engineers campgrounds on Kerr and Gaston, and the Pisgah/Nantahala national forests. Game Land camping is limited to designated areas. The Roanoke River has a unique system of platform camping in the swamp.
Tackle: Statewide black-bass daily limit is 5 (14-inch minimum on most, but many lakes have their own slot — Harris, Jordan, Sutton and others); crappie 20 on most reservoirs; striped/hybrid bass limits vary by water and season, and the Roanoke River striper season is tightly regulated (April-June, one fish, slot). Public Mountain Trout Waters each carry their own creel and tackle rules by classification. Check the current NCWRC regulations for this water.
Boat ramps: 18 mapped — Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp and others nearby.
Camping: 16 sites mapped nearby — Kerr Lake State Park, Hibernia Group Area, Hibernia Campground - Area 2, Host Sites, Camping Area A, Camping Area D, Steele Creek Marina & Campground and others.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Anyone 16+ needs a North Carolina Inland Fishing licence — resident annual is about $27, non-resident annual about $45, and non-resident 10-day (~$23) licences are sold. A Mountain Trout privilege (~$16) is required in addition to fish any Public Mountain Trout Water; the Mountain Heritage Trout Waters in the mountain towns need only a $8 3-day licence. North Carolina residents 70+ get a free lifetime licence. Buy from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. A North Carolina Inland Fishing licence covers this water. Kerr Lake and Lake Gaston are fished lake-wide on a North Carolina or Virginia licence; Lake Wylie on a NC or South Carolina licence.
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