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Fishing Kerr Lake (Buggs Island): what the data says
50,000-acre lake near Henderson. a 50,000-acre Roanoke River reservoir on the NC/VA line. the birthplace of landlocked striper stocking and a premier trophy-cat water. The lake tops out around 100 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Kerr Lake (Buggs Island)
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Striped Bass fishing at Kerr Lake (Buggs Island)
Spring striped bass on Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 50 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a flutter spoon (deep) or a umbrella rig (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Crappie fishing at Kerr Lake (Buggs Island)
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Kerr Lake (Buggs Island)
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring channel catfish. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
Blue Catfish fishing at Kerr Lake (Buggs Island)
In spring, blue catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 10 to 40 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 50 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday |
Flathead Catfish fishing at Kerr Lake (Buggs Island)
In spring, flathead catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates good for flathead catfish in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday |
Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) also holds white perch (15 to 40 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 85 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 46.65987695685935 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 25 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 25 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 17.556436651180373 ft
- Dock / pier line: dock line, around 15 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 11.921793012729614 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 10.530938905278624 ft
- Dock / pier line: dock line, around 10 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
- Dock / pier line: dock line, around 8 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 7.78647599023952 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Kerr Lake (Buggs Island)?
Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) is about 100 ft (30 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 Kerr Lake (Buggs Island)?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, striped bass, flathead catfish, blue catfish, white perch on Kerr Lake (Buggs Island).
Where is the best fishing spot on Kerr Lake (Buggs Island)?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Kerr Lake (Buggs Island)?
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.
Nearby waters
Lake Gaston · Falls Lake · Jordan Lake · Roanoke River · Harris Lake · Badin Lake
See how Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in North Carolina · best crappie lakes in North Carolina · best channel catfish lakes in North Carolina · best striped bass lakes in North Carolina
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