See every public fishing venue in North Carolina on the map, with boat ramps, camping, parking and full rules for each one.
Cape Fear River is a public river in Bladen County, Brunswick County, Cumberland County, Harnett County, New Hanover County and Pender County, North Carolina, managed by State of North Carolina (public / navigable water). You can fish it on an North Carolina licence, but bank access is only at road crossings, parks, NCWRC access sites and other public land; riparian owners control the bank on non-navigable reaches. Public access confirmed via marquee water.
The Cape Fear — North Carolina's largest river, from the Haw/Deep confluence at Jordan Dam down to Wilmington. Largemouth bass, redbreast, bluegill, chain pickerel, bowfin, and a serious flathead- and blue-catfish fishery. Spring brings striped bass and American shad up to Lock and Dam #1. Below Wilmington it goes tidal and brackish.
It runs roughly 175 miles through the Coastal Plain region. Anglers here mostly fish for largemouth bass, redbreast sunfish, bluegill, chain pickerel; bowfin, longnose gar, channel catfish, flathead catfish are also on record. Live flow and gauge height come from the Cape Fear R At Lock 1 Nr Kelly, Nc USGS station shown below. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Horseshoe Lake and White Lake.
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: 19 mapped — Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp and others nearby.
Camping: 5 sites mapped nearby — Campsite, Campsite, Canoe Camp, Campsite, Greene's Pond Cabins & RV Park.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Loading live flow & gauge height…
Live from USGS gauge 02105769 — Cape Fear R At Lock 1 Nr Kelly, Nc. Full gauge data →
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 navigable rivers. Where an inland river meets Coastal or Joint waters (marked by NCWRC/DMF signs) a Coastal Recreational Fishing Licence is required instead. A Mountain Trout privilege is required on Public Mountain Trout Waters.
Every water carries species, bank & boat access, current regulations and live water conditions — and members get Swim Mapper, Catch Logger and Trip Planner. It's the only US map with a dedicated carp-water layer.
Open the North Carolina map Start your free trial