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1,470-acre reservoir near Wilkesboro. A clear Yadkin-headwaters Corps reservoir in the Brushy Mountains. Rocky points, brush and smallmouth. The lake tops out around 90 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The drawn water covers 1,227 acres wrapped in 30.3 miles of bank. The 6.2 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. About 62% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 4.5 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.4 mi at the beam. Wilkes County claims this one. If the bite dies, Lake James is 40 mi to the southwest.
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 45 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 23 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Old creek channel (45 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 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. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| 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 | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Old creek channel (45 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, spotted bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 40 ft before dropping to 25 to 50 ft for winter. Fall spotted bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 23 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop shot over brush or an underspin + fluke (schoolers) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers) |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Walking topwater, Underspin |
| Winter | 25 to 50 ft | midday | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 15 to 35 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Spring walleye concentrate at Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Creek inflow (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| 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 | Marina / dock area (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Marina / dock area (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (77 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 9 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 77 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 W. Kerr Scott Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Carolina fishing regulations →
W. Kerr Scott Reservoir is about 90 ft (27 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 smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, spotted bass, walleye, crappie on W. Kerr Scott Reservoir.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 23 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For smallmouth 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 W. Kerr Scott Reservoir 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.
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See how W. Kerr Scott Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in North Carolina · best smallmouth bass lakes in North Carolina · best walleye lakes in North Carolina · best crappie 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.