Badin Lake Fishing
Montgomery County and Stanly County, NCWRC District 6, 5,355 acres.
- 7launches
- 5,355acres
- 27attractors
Photo: Wasrts, CC BY-SA 4.0
Badin Lake through an angler’s eyes
Badin Lake is a lake in Montgomery County and Stanly County, part of NCWRC fisheries District 6. NID records give it 5,355 acres of surface water. Yadkin Narrows Bypass Spillway Control Structure Dam (1917) impounds the Yadkin to form it. A drive of about 4 miles reaches Badin, the nearest town.
NCWRC sources name striped bass, black crappie and white perch here. Boaters can use 7 mapped launches; 2 belong to the NCWRC access program. NCWRC requested 64,000 1-2 in striped bass for this water in 2026. Anglers can find 27 NCWRC fish attractors, 27 marked by buoys. US Forest Service, NC WRC and Alcoa-Yadkin Inc owns the public access points.
NCWRC survey notes, Badin Lake
“Located in Stanly and Montgomery counties, Badin Lake is between Tuckertown and Falls reservoirs on the Yadkin-Pee Dee River chain of reservoirs.”
“Badin Lake, a 5,350-acre reservoir, is a popular destination for North Carolina anglers with several species of interest including Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, White Bass, White Perch, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Flathead Catfish, and Blue Catfish.”
“Badin Lake generally produces a quality Black Crappie fishery and the population is surveyed every three years by fisheries staff.”
“In 1991, an 8-inch minimum size limit and 20-fish per day creel limit were enacted at Badin Lake.”
“Fisheries biologists removed harvest restrictions on crappies at Badin Lake in 2020 to promote harvest of 6- to 8-inch crappies, leading to reduced competition and improved growth.”
Quoted from NCWRC fishing summary fact sheets for Badin Lake (source). Checked October 2026.
Getting a boat onto Badin Lake
- Circle Drive3 lanes, 39 trailer spaces, restrooms, 3 docks, Alcoa-Yadkin Inc
- Lakemont2 lanes, 49 trailer spaces, 1 dock, NC WRC
- Badin Lake Boat Rampboat ramp, public
- Cove Boat Launchboat ramp, US Forest Service
- Boat launch, Badin Lakeboat ramp, public
- Boat launch, Badin Lakeboat ramp, public
- Boat launch, Badin Lakeboat ramp, public
Public fishing areas by Badin Lake
- Old Whitney1 pier, owner Alcoa-Yadkin Inc, open
- Kings Mountain Point Pier2 piers, owner US Forest Service, open
- Holts Cabinbank access, owner US Forest Service, non-ncwrc
Nearest put-ins to Badin Lake
- Deep Water Boat Launchboat ramp, 4 miles south
- NC Hwy 109Uwharrie River, 6 miles east
- Morrow MountainTillery Lake, 6 miles southeast
- Low Water BridgeUwharrie River, 6 miles east
- Uwarrie RiverUwharrie River, 7 miles southeast
- Flat CreekTuckertown Lake, 8 miles northwest
NCWRC Boating Access Areas and Public Fishing Areas, USACE Wilmington District, USFS and OpenStreetMap, checked October 2026.
What hits in Badin Lake
The list for Badin Lake is built from NCWRC stocking, rule tables, species profiles and the record book. named in the NCWRC profile: 2; stocked: 1.
NCWRC 2026 stocking list, warm-water regulations, species profiles and state records.
Hatchery fish for Badin Lake
| Species | Size | Number | Program | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Striped Bass | 1-2" | 64,000 | MGT | ALCOA ramp, 35.407898, -80.115045 and Lakemont ramp, 35.484874, -80.090610 |
NCWRC 2026 warmwater stocking list and the live trout stocking report. North Carolina stocking.
Harvest rules for Badin Lake
Statewide inland rows cover Badin Lake; no special rule is listed.
| Species | Daily creel | Size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass | 5 a day | 14 in minimum | No closed season |
| Crappie | no creel limit | no size limit | No closed season |
| Sunfish | no creel limit | no size limit | No closed season |
| Striped and Bodie bass | 4 a day | 20 in minimum | No closed season |
| White bass | 10 a day | no size limit | No closed season |
| Walleye | 8 a day | no size limit | No closed season |
| Rock and Roanoke bass | no creel limit | no size limit | No closed season |
| Blue, channel and flathead catfish | no creel limit | no size limit | No closed season |
| Trout (undesignated waters) | 7 a day | no size limit | No closed season |
Interstate lines in the NCWRC rules pick some rows for Badin Lake.
NCWRC 2026-27 inland regulations (eRegulations), checked October 2026. All North Carolina limits.
Neighbor lakes of Badin Lake
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Stocked 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badin Lake | 5,355 | 7 | yes | |
| Tuckertown Reservoir | 7 miles northwest | 2,560 | 4 | yes |
| Long Lake | 10 miles southwest | 91.5 | 1 | yes |
| Lake Tillery | 11 miles south | 5,260 | 6 | yes |
| High Rock Lake | 18 miles northwest | 15,180 | 5 | yes |
| Lake Murtis | 18 miles northwest | 0 |
In reach of Badin Lake
Next reservoirs over from Badin Lake
- Tuckertown Reservoir7 miles northwest
- Long Lake10 miles southwest
- Lake Tillery11 miles south
- High Rock Lake18 miles northwest
- Lake Murtis18 miles northwest
Where to buy bait by Badin Lake
- Pinehaven Marinamarina, New London, 3 miles
- Gill's Tackle & Taxidermybait and tackle shop, Badin, 4 miles
- Bait on 8bait and tackle shop, New London, 6 miles
- Hometown Custom Rods & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Denton, 7 miles
- Joe's Bait & Tackle Shopbait and tackle shop, Albemarle, 8 miles
- Swift Island Lake Tillery Boat Accessmarina, Mt Gilead, 11 miles
Towns nearest Badin Lake
- Badin4 miles
- New London6 miles
- Albemarle8 miles
Badin Lake county links
- Montgomery Countyseat: Troy
- Stanly Countyseat: Albemarle
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Worth knowing about Badin Lake
Which NCWRC district covers Badin Lake?
Montgomery County and Stanly County, in NCWRC District 6, about 4 miles from Badin.
Is Badin Lake a big lake?
The dam record lists 5,355 acres.
Does a ramp reach Badin Lake?
Access records list 7 launches; Lakemont is one.
What species does Badin Lake hold?
Expect striped bass, black crappie and white perch.
What does NCWRC put in Badin Lake?
The 2026 warmwater list shows 64,000 1-2 in striped bass.
Is Badin Lake under special regulations?
Statewide limits, no special rule.
Can visitors fish Badin Lake?
An NCWRC inland fishing license from age 16, $32 a year for residents.
Is there a live reading for Badin Lake?
No live gauge covers it.
Which counter sells bait nearest Badin Lake?
Closest on our list: Pinehaven Marina, 3 miles.
Block out a day for Badin Lake
Read the limits, then pick a ramp above.