Harris Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (NC)

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Lake depth chart

Harris Lake, NC

Max 40 ft

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Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~6 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Harris Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Harris Lake on the board.

Fishing Harris Lake: what the data says

4,100-acre lake near New Hill. Shearon Harris: a warm power-plant lake south of Raleigh with a trophy-largemouth reputation and thick grass. The lake tops out around 40 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.

Drawn out, this is 4,116 acres of water rimmed by 90.9 miles of bank, broken up by an island. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 10.1) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 84% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 6.2 mi with a 5.1-mi widest point. You'll find it in Wake County. The nearest mapped water is Jordan Lake, 11 mi to the northwest.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Harris Lake

In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (18 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (10 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (18 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Crappie fishing at Harris Lake

Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 34 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (18 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (18 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (34 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Harris Lake

In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. Spring channel catfish concentrate at Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 4 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Creek inflow (4 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Break off the point (18 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Break off the point (18 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (34 ft)

Bluegill fishing at Harris Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Break off the point (18 ft)	Tiny spoon

Notable structure

Harris Lake carries 14 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 34 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 34 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 18 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 10 ft
Secondary point: point, around 10 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 7 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 5 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
Shallow flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 2 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 2 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 0 ft

Harris Lake fishing regulations

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 Harris Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official North Carolina fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Harris Lake?

Harris Lake is about 40 ft (12 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in Harris Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, bluegill on Harris Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Harris Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Harris Lake?

For largemouth 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Harris Lake?

Fishing on Harris Lake 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.

Nearby waters

Jordan Lake 11 mi · Falls Lake 32 mi · Badin Lake 67 mi · Lake Tillery 68 mi · Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) 70 mi, NC/VA · High Rock Lake 77 mi · Lake Gaston 81 mi, NC/VA · Lake Gordon 86 mi, VA · Cape Fear River - Reach 1 of 2 93 mi, NC/SC · Roanoke River 95 mi · Lake Waccamaw 95 mi · Leesville Lake 103 mi, VA

See how Harris Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in North Carolina · best crappie lakes in North Carolina · best bluegill lakes in North Carolina · best channel catfish lakes in North Carolina

Browse all North Carolina fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.