Fishing Report For Tar River Reservoir, NC

By Rick Seaman

February 1, 2025

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Tar River Reservoir Fishing Video
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Fishing Report Tar River Reservoir, NC

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Tar River Reservoir, NC

Largemouth Bass

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

Tar River Reservoir fishes like many river lakes, with increases in fish activity when water is flowing through the lake. The NC Wildlife Resources Commission has managed the fishery well and bass from two to four pounds are common. An occasional 7 pounder shows, but rarely anything bigger. When the bite is good, locals report good catches with spinnerbaits around brush. If you find them shallow and they are not tempted to bite, slow down and use stick worms, rigged wacky style. In deeper water, big worms, jigs and spoons are three good weapons.

Channel Catfish

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good

The North Carolina WRC reports cut fish, chicken livers, cheese, shrimp, crayfish blood baits are good bait choices for channel catfish. Fishing for channel catfish is often productive around any kind of structure. Fishing late in the day until midnight often produces the best fishing activity as this is prime feeding time for channel cats. Spring, and again in Fall, are some of the best time of year. Submerged road beds, creek channels and rocky points are all good places to begin. Use a slip sinker or Carolina rig setup.

Black Crappie - White Crappie

Uncle Buck's Panfish Creatures Curly Tail Minnow Rigged

Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Very Good

Reported by many to be one of the top crappie fishing lakes in the eastern part of the state, Tar River Reservoir can deliver some big slabs, often in good numbers. Several white crappie weighing 3 1/2 pounds or better have been reported over recent years. Spring is the premiere time to be on the water as crappie move into shallow coves to spawn. Docks, brush, wood 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. Locals report good success using fish finders to locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover. In Spring and Fall focus on the 8 to 12 foot range.

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, black crappie, white crappie and bluegill at Tar River Reservoir in North Carolina.

Tar River Reservoir is an 1,800-acre lake with over 30 miles of shoreline offering excellent crappie fishing for both black and white crappie. In addition to crappie the lake offers fishing for bass, catfish and sunfish.

Primary fish species to catch

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Today's Weather & Forecast

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".