Fishing Report For Lake Mackintosh, NC

By Rick Seaman

June 4, 2025

Popular Fish Species Reports
Lake Mackintosh Fishing Video
Available Fish Species
Today's Weather & Forecast
Fishing Boat Rentals
Boat Launch Ramps
Marinas
Fishing License
Map
Contact Info

Fishing Report Lake Mackintosh, NC

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Lake Mackintosh, NC

Largemouth Bass

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

This is home to lots of big, largemouth bass. Fish over 5 pounds are common and lunkers up to 8 pounds are not all that uncommon. Bass are currently in various stages of the spawn cycle, and focusing on shallow, spawning areas. Some of the bigger females are still holding on points and structure, just outside these areas. Virtually all lures are catching nice largemouth bass here, but many tournament anglers are spending lots of time throwing vibrating jigs. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits and swim jigs are also popular. Stick worms, rigged wacky style, often teases wary bass into striking, often catching the larger bass. Once the spawn is complete, and the shallows get too warm, bass move to outside structure, ledges, points and creel channel edges.

Black Crappie

Uncle Buck's Panfish Creatures Curly Tail Minnow Rigged

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good

Crappie fishing has been excellent, but we are coming out of the prime months for crappie. March, April and May are the best time to load up on crappie here. The crappie are moving to cooler, deeper water and can be found in 15 to 25 feet deep or deeper. Standing timber, brush piles, wood lay-downs, and deep vegetation are a good place to cast small crappie jigs or live minnows. Light tackle with 4 lb to 8 lb line is ideal. Fish finders and forward facing sonar help locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover.

Hybrid Striped Bass

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

With water temperatures in the 70's, hybrid striped bass are finished with their Spring spawning run, up river. They are following schools of gizzard shad and threadfin shad in the main body areas of the lake. Jigs with a variety of plastics, or hair jigs are catching wipers. Swimbaits, jerkbaits, blade baits, crankbaits, spoons, live bait and cut bait are all effective here as well. Many of the more successful catches are by anglers using electronics and fish finders to locate both bait and wipers.

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, channel catfish, blue catfish, black crappie, white crappie, bluegill, striped bass and hybrid striped bass at Lake Mackintosh in North Carolina.

Fishing Video

Lake Mackintosh is a 1000-acre lake with over 60 miles of shoreline. There is very limited access for fishing from the bank. Bass are the big draw here, plus the lake has populations of hybrid stripers, catfish, bluegill and striped bass.

Primary fish species to catch

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Fishing Boat Rentals

Click here for fishing boat rentals available at this lake.

Marinas

Click here for marinas available at this lake.

Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

Click here for boat ramps available at this lake.

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".