Local Intel
Jordan Lake
Chatham County, NC · 1 hr 15 min from Greensboro
Surface area
13,900 acres
Max depth
40 ft
Primary species
Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish
From Greensboro · NC
1 hr 15 min
Live conditions · Jordan Lake
Water level & flow gauges
Live pool elevation, discharge, and (where instrumented) water temperature from official operators. Opens in a new tab.
Structure & water
13,900-acre USACE flood-control reservoir on the Haw River and New Hope River — fertile, stained-to-muddy main lake fed by Triangle wastewater that drives heavy shad biomass and bass growth. Long fingers up the Haw arm (north) and New Hope arm (south) with submerged roadbeds, standing timber stumps, boat lanes, and clay points. Major BASS/MLF tournament venue and the most consistently produced 8+ lb largemouth water within easy reach of GSO. Open 24 hours.
Forage: Threadfin shad, gizzard shad, alewife, bluegill, crayfish
Forage profile
- Threadfin shad40%
- Gizzard shad25%
- Alewife18%
- Bluegill10%
- Crayfish7%
Structure mix
- Points43%
- Flats29%
- Wood / Timber14%
- Creek Channels14%
Hot spots
Haw River arm (north)
Stained current-influenced water — chatterbait and squarebill along laydowns in spring; punch mats in summer. Big-fish factory after rain pushes color.
New Hope arm (south)
Cleaner, deeper water with classic creek-channel ledges in 12–22 ft. Carolina rig and deep crank in summer; Alabama rig in winter for suspended fish.
Farrington Point & Ebenezer Church area
Main-lake humps, boat lanes, and the old roadbed crossings — heart of the offshore summer pattern. Texas-rig a 10" worm or drag a football jig.
Vista Point / Crosswinds flats
Spring spawning flats off the New Hope arm. Lipless and chatterbait in pre-spawn (Mar–early Apr), Senkos in shallow cover during the spawn.
Top patterns
Spring
3/8–1/2 oz green-pumpkin chatterbait with paddle-tail trailer ripped through grass and laydowns on warming Haw arm pockets — water 55–68°F.
Summer
1 oz C-rig with a Brush Hog or 10" worm dragged across 14–22 ft humps and roadbed crossings; Strike King 6XD in shad colors when fish school.
Winter
Umbrella rig with five 4.8" swimbaits slow-rolled through suspended bait on main-lake points and the New Hope channel in 18–30 ft — proven big-fish bait Dec–Feb.
Launches & marinas
- Public ramp
Ebenezer Church Boat Access (USACE)
2871 Beaver Creek Rd, Apex, NC 27523
Fees: Daily parking fee at gate
Concrete quad rampCourtesy docksPaved parking ~150 rigsRestroomsSwim beachBest multi-lane ramp on the lake — primary tournament launch. Closest access to the main-lake humps and the New Hope channel.
- Public ramp
Farrington Point Boat Access (USACE)
2235 Farrington Point Rd, Apex, NC 27523
Fees: Daily parking fee at gate
Concrete double rampCourtesy dockPaved parkingRestroomsQuick access to Farrington Point and the mid-lake roadbed crossings. Less crowded than Ebenezer on tournament days.
- Public ramp
Vista Point Boat Access (USACE)
2400 Lystra Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Fees: Daily parking fee at gate
Concrete double rampCourtesy dockPaved parkingCampingRestroomsWestern side / New Hope arm access. Best for fishing the Vista flats and Crosswinds in spring.
- Public ramp
Crosswinds Boat Access (USACE)
1206 Beaver Dam Rd, Apex, NC 27523
Fees: Daily parking fee at gate
Concrete double rampCourtesy dockPaved parkingMarina with rentalsRestroomsAdjacent to Crosswinds Marina (fuel, rentals, tackle). Central New Hope arm put-in.
- Public ramp
Robeson Creek Boat Access (NCWRC)
off US-64, Pittsboro, NC
Fees: Free (NCWRC Boating Access)
Paved double rampCourtesy dockGravel parkingVault toiletBest access to the upper Haw arm — closest put-in for current-influenced largemouth water above the US-64 bridge.
Regulations
NC license required. Largemouth: 14" minimum, 5/day (only 2 under 14"). Open 24 hours; no motor restrictions. Multiple free NCWRC ramps. Check NCWRC and USACE for tournament/event closures.
Local tip
Match the arm to the weather. Stained Haw arm fishes best on bright, post-front days when bass tuck into laydowns and you need a high-contrast chatterbait to draw them out. Cleaner New Hope arm is the better call on overcast, stable weather — drag a Carolina rig across the 18 ft humps. After a 2"+ rain, the Haw turns chocolate and shuts down for 48 hours; pivot south to the New Hope arm where the mud line creates the day's most productive edge.