Falls Lake Fishing
Wake County, Durham County and Granville County, NCWRC District 3, 11,310 acres.
- 10launches
- 11,310acres
- 38attractors
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Getting oriented on Falls Lake
Falls Lake covers part of Wake County, Durham County and Granville County as a lake in NCWRC District 3. The National Inventory of Dams lists 11,310 surface acres at normal pool. The water backs up behind Falls Lake Dam Dam on the Neuse River, completed in 1981. Supplies are closest in Butner, about 8 miles away.
Records from the Commission list black crappie, white crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, redbreast sunfish and white perch. 10 mapped launches serve it, 4 of them NCWRC Boating Access Areas. 38 fish attractor sites resolve to it, 3 with buoys. Ownership of the ramps: US Army Corps of Engineers and US Army Corps Of Engineers.
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- Eno River1 lane, 26 trailer spaces, 1 dock, US Army Corps Of Engineers
- Hickory Hill4 lanes, 101 trailer spaces, 1 dock, US Army Corps Of Engineers
- Ledge Rock4 lanes, 100 trailer spaces, 2 docks, US Army Corps Of Engineers
- Upper Bartons Creek4 lanes, 145 trailer spaces, 3 docks, US Army Corps Of Engineers
- Beaverdam Boat Ramp2 lanes, fee, US Army Corps of Engineers
- Bw Wells Boat Ramp1 lane, US Army Corps of Engineers
- Holly Point Boat Ramp2 lanes, US Army Corps of Engineers
- Hwy 50 Sra Boat Ramp6 lanes, US Army Corps of Engineers
- Rollingview Marina Boat Ramp2 lanes, US Army Corps of Engineers
- Rollingview Sra Boat Ramp4 lanes, US Army Corps of Engineers
NCWRC shoreline access, Falls Lake
- Old 98bank access, owner US Army Corps Of Engineers, open
- Upper Barton Creekbank access, owner US Army Corps Of Engineers, open
- Falls Lake Dam1 pier, owner US Army Corps Of Engineers, open
Other ramps by Falls Lake
- Lake Crabtree County ParkLake Crabree County Park, 12 miles south
NCWRC Boating Access Areas and Public Fishing Areas, USACE Wilmington District, USFS and OpenStreetMap, checked October 2026.
The Falls Lake gauge
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Falls Lake Above Dam Nr Falls, Nc | 246.39 ft lake elevation | Oct 13 5:15 am |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Oct 13, 2026 5:42 am ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
US Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District (CWMS), reading for Oct 9, 2026. Retrieved Oct 13, 2026 5:42 am ET. Not updated since Oct 9, 2026.
Fish to target on Falls Lake
NCWRC publishes no species survey for most lakes, so this list comes from stocking, regulations, profiles and records that name Falls Lake. regulated: 5; state record: 1.
NCWRC 2026 stocking list, warm-water regulations, species profiles and state records.
Falls Lake rules
Falls Lake appears by name in the NCWRC tables below.
| Species | Size limit | Daily creel |
|---|---|---|
| Crappie (Black And White) | 8-inch minimum | 20 in combination |
| Sunfish (Except Crappie, Rock Bass, & Roanoke Bass) | None | 30 in combination, including no more than 12 redbreast sunfish |
| 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 |
Rows depending on I-95 or I-77 are chosen for the location of Falls Lake.
NCWRC 2026-27 inland regulations (eRegulations), checked October 2026. All North Carolina limits.
Falls Lake in the state record book
| Species | Weight | Date | Bait |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Perch | 2 lbs, 15 oz | 12/16/2001 | Strata Spoon |
NCWRC freshwater state records, angler names left out. All records.
Side by side with Falls Lake
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Stocked 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falls Lake | 11,310 | 10 | ||
| Shelley Lake | 12 miles southeast | 32 | 0 | yes |
| Lake Crabree County Park | 13 miles south | 1 | ||
| Bond Lake | 17 miles south | 80 | 1 | yes |
| Lake Johnson | 18 miles south | 147.5 | 1 | |
| Lake Raleigh | 18 miles south | 88.1 | 1 |
Neighbors of Falls Lake on the map
Lakes close to Falls Lake
- Shelley Lake12 miles southeast
- Lake Crabree County Park13 miles south
- Bond Lake17 miles south
- Lake Johnson18 miles south
- Lake Raleigh18 miles south
Bait stores near Falls Lake
- Rollingview Marina Incmarina, Durham, 2 miles
- Rollingview Marinamarina, Durham, 2 miles
- ANDY'S GENERAL INC.country store with bait, Durham, 4 miles
- DICK'S Sporting Goods Raleigh, 8021 Brier Creek Parkway, Suite 100sporting goods store, Raleigh, 8 miles
- Outhouse Tackle Companybait and tackle shop, Raleigh, 8 miles
- Carolina Outdoor Sportsmansporting goods store, Raleigh, 9 miles
Places to stay by Falls Lake
- Butner8 miles
- Creedmoor9 miles
- Durham9 miles
Which counties Falls Lake crosses
- Wake Countyseat: Raleigh
- Durham Countyseat: Durham
- Granville Countyseat: Oxford
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Common catches near Falls Lake
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
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Photo: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Falls Lake in a few answers
Which corner of North Carolina holds Falls Lake?
Find it in Wake County, Durham County and Granville County within District 3, about 8 miles from Butner.
What surface does Falls Lake cover at full pool?
11,310 acres on the National Inventory of Dams.
Where is boating access on Falls Lake?
10 launches; Upper Bartons Creek is one of them.
Which fish does NCWRC tie to Falls Lake?
Records point to black crappie, white crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, redbreast sunfish and white perch.
Does NCWRC stock Falls Lake?
Not on this year’s lists.
What are the creel limits at Falls Lake?
Crappie (Black And White): 8-inch minimum, 20 in combination; Sunfish (Except Crappie, Rock Bass, & Roanoke Bass): None, 30 in combination, including no more than 12 redbreast sunfish.
What license fee applies at Falls Lake?
Residents buy the $32 inland license from age 16.
Does a gauge track Falls Lake?
The reading from USGS sits in the level box above.
Which tackle counter is nearest Falls Lake?
Try Rollingview Marina Inc, around 2 miles off.
Drive out to Falls Lake
Fees and every statewide limit sit on the license page.