Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
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. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) maps at 45,277 acres behind 735 miles of shoreline, with 62 islands in the mix. With a shoreline index of 24.7, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 73% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 30 mi end to end and 15.5 mi across at its widest. Mecklenburg County claims this one. If the bite dies, Lake Gordon is 19 mi to the northeast.
Spring largemouth bass on Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (18 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (11 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (18 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 50 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring striped bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | 3-5 inch baitfish swimbait, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (47 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (25 ft) | Baitfish swimbait, Metal jig |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Sharp break (47 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (18 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Dock / pier line (15 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is Creek inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 8 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (85 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (85 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: blue catfish sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 40 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 50 ft. Top water on the chart: Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 8 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (18 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Sharp break (47 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Sharp break (47 ft) |
Spring flathead catfish on Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. Put Creek inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 8 ft that grades good for spring. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Sharp break (4 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (85 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (85 ft) |
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.
Count 26 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 85 ft.
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 Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Carolina fishing regulations →
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.
Anglers target largemouth bass, striped bass, crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, white perch 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. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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.
Fishing on Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) 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 Gordon 19 mi, VA · Lake Gaston 25 mi · Falls Lake 39 mi, NC · Briery Creek Lake 43 mi, VA · Lake Nottoway 51 mi, VA · Roanoke River 57 mi, NC · Leesville Lake 62 mi, VA · Jordan Lake 63 mi, NC · Horsepen Lake 66 mi, VA · Lake Chesdin 70 mi, VA · Harris Lake 70 mi, NC · Smith Mountain Lake 76 mi, VA
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
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.