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Fishing Lake Waccamaw: what the data says
8,900-acre lake near Lake Waccamaw. a shallow Carolina-bay lake, unusually clear and lime-buffered. cypress rim, grass flats and largemouth. The lake tops out around 11 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Waccamaw
Spring largemouth bass on Lake Waccamaw hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 11 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 11 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. 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 | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Lake Waccamaw
Spring crappie on Lake Waccamaw hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 11 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 11 ft. Old creek channel is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for fall 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Waccamaw
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 11 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday |
Bluegill fishing at Lake Waccamaw
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 3 to 11 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 11 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Chain Pickerel fishing at Lake Waccamaw
Start shallow in spring: chain pickerel sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 2 to 11 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 11 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for chain pickerel in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 9 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 6 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 3.986718395848696 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Dock / pier line: dock line, around 0 ft
- Dock / pier line: dock line, around 0 ft
- Dock / pier line: dock line, around 0 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Waccamaw?
Lake Waccamaw is about 11 ft (3 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 Lake Waccamaw?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, chain pickerel on Lake Waccamaw.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Waccamaw?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 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 Lake Waccamaw?
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
Harris Lake · Jordan Lake · Bogue Sound · Falls Lake · Lake Tillery · Badin Lake
See how Lake Waccamaw 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
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