Local Intel
Lake Gaston
Warren/Northampton County, NC & Brunswick/Mecklenburg County, VA · 1 hr 55 min from Greensboro
Surface area
20,300 acres
Max depth
75 ft
Primary species
Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, Crappie, Catfish
From Greensboro · NC
1 hr 55 min
Live conditions · Lake Gaston
Water level & flow gauges
Live pool elevation, discharge, and (where instrumented) water temperature from official operators. Opens in a new tab.
Structure & water
Dominion Energy reservoir on the Roanoke River below Kerr — 34 miles long, clear water, heavily developed shoreline with thousands of docks, extensive hydrilla and milfoil grass beds, deep main-lake points, and offshore brush piles. Blueback herring drive a strong offshore bite. Major MLF/FLW tournament destination; well-managed largemouth fishery with consistent 4–6 lb class fish.
Forage: Threadfin shad, gizzard shad, blueback herring, alewife, bluegill, crayfish
Forage profile
- Threadfin shad40%
- Gizzard shad25%
- Blueback herring18%
- Alewife10%
- Bluegill7%
Structure mix
- Grass / Vegetation46%
- Wood / Timber15%
- Docks15%
- Points15%
- Creek Channels8%
Hot spots
Pea Hill Creek (NC side)
Major creek with grass, docks, and deep channel — top spring and fall water. Chatterbait, swim jig, jerkbait.
Songbird / Lizard Creek
Spawning and post-spawn bays with abundant cover. Frog and Senko.
Main-lake hydrilla edges (Eaton's Ferry area)
Outside grass edges in 8–14 ft — summer staple. Swim jig, Texas-rigged Senko, frog.
Offshore brush piles / herring schools (mid-lake)
Summer herring bite on main-lake points and humps in 15–25 ft. Topwater, jerkbait, flutter spoon, big swimbait.
Top patterns
Year-round
Dock Skipping (Senko / Jig)
5" Senko wacky-rigged or 3/8 oz skipping jig under boat docks — Gaston has thousands of them. Floating docks in 8–15 ft hold fish year-round.
Spring–Summer
3/8 oz swim jig with a Menace trailer along outside grass edges; hollow-body frog over the mats at dawn and dusk.
Summer
Topwater / Flutter Spoon
Whopper Plopper or Spook over offshore brush at first light; drop a 3/4 oz silver flutter spoon through any school that surfaces.
Launches & marinas
- Public ramp
Eaton's Ferry Boat Access (NCWRC)
NC-903, Littleton, NC 27850
Fees: Free (NCWRC Boating Access)
Paved quad rampCourtesy docksPaved parking ~120 rigsVault toiletPrimary tournament ramp — central mid-lake access. Fills on weekends.
- Public ramp
Salmons Boat Access (NCWRC)
Salmons Rd, Littleton, NC
Fees: Free (NCWRC Boating Access)
Paved double rampCourtesy dockGravel parkingVault toiletLower-lake / NC dam-end access. Closer to deep herring water.
- Public ramp
Pea Hill Boat Access (NCWRC)
Pea Hill Rd, Macon, NC
Fees: Free (NCWRC Boating Access)
Paved double rampCourtesy dockPaved parkingVault toiletUpper-NC-side access into Pea Hill Creek — best spring launch.
- Marina
Holly Grove Marina
1100 Holly Grove Rd, Bracey, VA 23919
Phone: (434) 636-3455
Fees: Daily launch fee
Concrete double rampFuelBait & tackleBoat rentalsRestaurantCampingFull-service VA-side marina on the upper end. Fuel and bait close to the action.
Regulations
Reciprocal NC/VA license agreement — fish entire lake with either license. Largemouth: 14" minimum, 5/day (NC). Striped bass: seasonal regulations vary; check NCWRC and VDWR. No HP restriction.
Local tip
Gaston is a dock lake — over 8,000 of them. Learn to skip a Senko or jig under floating docks and you can catch fish 12 months a year. Focus on docks in 8–15 ft of water with brush underneath (use Side Imaging to find the productive ones). For summer trophies, get on the offshore herring bite at dawn — it's a shorter window than Kerr but the fish average bigger.