Fishing Report For Kerr Lake, NC

By Rick Seaman

February 1, 2025

Popular Fish Species Reports
Kerr Lake Fishing Video
Available Fish Species
Today's Weather & Forecast
Fishing Boat Rentals
Marinas
Boat Launch Ramps
Fishing License
Map
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Fishing Report Kerr Lake, NC

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Kerr Lake, NC

Striped Bass

Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Very Good To Excellent

Prolific schools of shad in Kerr lake are the reason stripers are growing fast. The bait is everywhere, so striped bass don't have to go far for a meal. In cooler water, 72 degrees or below, stripers will move shallow following the bait. In warmer water, both stripers and bait move to deeper, cooler water. Being successful at fishing for stripers is a matter of locating these schools of bait, and wolf packs of stripers are likely to be nearby. Fish finders are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Swimbaits, jerkbaits, crankbaits, spoons, live bait and cut bait are all effective here. Striper anglers report plenty of fish in the 5 lb to 10 lb range, and an occasional fish over 15 pounds.

Black Crappie - White Crappie

Uncle Buck's Panfish Creatures Curly Tail Minnow Rigged

Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Very Good To Excellent

Crappie fishing at Kerr Lake continues to be among the best in the area. Spring is the premiere time to be on the water as crappie move into shallow coves to spawn. After the spawn, focus on cover in 10' to 25', just outside the spawning areas. Docks, brush piles and standing timber are a good place to cast small crappie jigs or live minnows. Light tackle with 4 lb to 8 lb line is ideal. Locals report good success using fish finders to locate schools of crappie around cover.

Blue Catfish

Current Report: Very Good To Excellent
Outlook: Excellent

Live bait is a good way to catch big blue catfish in Kerr Lake. Check with the North Carolina Wildlife Dept for regulations on live bait. Locals also report plenty of big blues being caught on cut bait. The lake record is over 140 pounds. Fishing for blue catfish is often productive around any kind of structure, especially when water is flowing. Road beds, creek channels and rocky points are all good places to begin. Use a slip sinker or Carolina rig setup.

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, black crappie, white bass, white perch and striped bass at Kerr Lake in North Carolina.

Kerr Lake is a 50,000-acre reservoir with 850 miles of shoreline, and it is loaded with fish. Bass, stripers, crappie, catfish, perch and white bass thrive here in good numbers, and size. To support these species, the reservoir has very healthy populations of bait fish.

Primary fish species to catch

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Fishing Boat Rentals

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Marinas

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Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

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Fishing License

Click here for a North Carolina Fishing License.

Map - Fishing & Access

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".