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70 km of the Cape Fear River navigation corridor, with channel depths from USACE hydrographic survey. The river tops out around 52 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Drawn out, this is 23,442 acres of water rimmed by 145.3 miles of bank. A development index of 6.8 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 55% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 36.4 mi end to end and 34.7 mi across at its widest. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lake Waccamaw, 16 mi southwest of here.
Early season striped bass use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 16 to 52 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 50 ft. Put Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) first on the milk run — a creek channel near 24 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 39.7) (13 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 16 to 52 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 6.8) (27 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 6.8) (27 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (24 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
When the water first warms, blue catfish slide up into 5 to 25 ft. Summer is a 10 to 40 ft game here, winter a 20 to 50 ft one. Start at Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6). It's a creek channel holding about 12 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (12 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (24 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (24 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: flathead catfish in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Slackwater eddy (mile 49.6), an eddy pocket in the 22 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 49.6) (22 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 49.6) (22 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Slackwater eddy (mile 49.6) (22 ft) |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Summer channel catfish concentrate at Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), a prime-rated creek channel around 12 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (12 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (12 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (24 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: white perch in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 40 ft before dropping to 20 to 50 ft for winter. The spot to know is Slackwater eddy (mile 49.6), an eddy pocket in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for white perch in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (12 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn | Slackwater eddy (mile 49.6) (22 ft) | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | midday | Slackwater eddy (mile 49.6) (22 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 49.6) (22 ft) | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: longnose gar in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 1 to 12 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), a creek channel in the 12 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for midday and the evening. Summer baits: a rope lure or a small white spinner gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday | open water | Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow) |
| Summer | 1 to 12 ft | midday & dusk | open water | Rope lure, Small white spinner |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (12 ft) | Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy) |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Slackwater eddy (mile 49.6) (22 ft) |
32 pieces of structure are mapped here — Channel current seam (mile 65.8), around 40 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for North Carolina waters are set by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission — and special regulations can apply to Cape Fear River - Reach 1 of 2 specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Carolina fishing regulations →
Cape Fear River - Reach 1 of 2 is about 52 ft (16 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target striped bass, blue catfish, flathead catfish, channel catfish, white perch, longnose gar on Cape Fear River - Reach 1 of 2. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For striped bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Cape Fear River - Reach 1 of 2 is regulated by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Check the official North Carolina regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Waccamaw 16 mi, NC · Northeast Cape Fear River 19 mi · Cape Fear River - Reach 2 of 2 29 mi · Shallotte River 32 mi · Bogue Sound 80 mi, NC · Great Pee Dee River 84 mi, SC/NC · Harris Lake 93 mi, NC · Jordan Lake 105 mi, NC · Lake Robinson 109 mi, SC · Falls Lake 116 mi, NC · Lake Tillery 122 mi, NC · Lake Moultrie 127 mi, SC
See how Cape Fear River - Reach 1 of 2 stacks up: best channel catfish lakes in North Carolina · best striped bass lakes in North Carolina · best flathead catfish lakes in North Carolina · best blue catfish lakes in North Carolina
Browse all North Carolina fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.