Lake Gaston Resource Page

Information gathered from Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries

This 20,300-acre reservoir is 34 miles long and has 350 miles of shoreline. The Virginia portion of this lake is primarily in Brunswick County, just below Buggs Island Lake (Virginia licenses are legal lake-wide). Lake Gaston has an excellent largemouth bass population. Many anglers like to fish the aquatic vegetation for largemouth bass. Boat docks also are likely places to catch largemouth bass. Striped bass, which are stocked by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, continue to produce a number of quality-sized fish. Striper fishing in the tail waters below Kerr Dam is an annual event. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) annually stock walleyes, and the best fishing is usually in the upper end during February and March. Lake Gaston also contains channel catfish, blue catfish, chain pickerel, and bluegill.

Before leaving Lake Gaston, boat owners should make sure that their boat, motor, and trailer do not have hydrilla on them. This will decrease the likelihood of spreading this exotic plant to other water bodies. In years past, the headwaters of Lake Gaston have been low in oxygen and not had the habitat to hold fish. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lake recently completed venting all the turbines in Kerr Dam to oxygenate the tailrace during summer months. This newly created habitat should allow more fish to move upstream during the summer.

For more information on Lake Gaston, contact the Lake Gaston Chamber of Commerce at 919-586-6287 or visit their website.

Maps for Lake Gaston

Maps can be purchased from the following companies

GMCO Maps

Kingfisher Maps

BC Fishing Maps