Lake Gaston Fishing
Warren County, Northampton County and Halifax County, NCWRC District 3, 20,300 acres.
- 5launches
- 20,300acres
- 3attractors
Photo: Domenic R. Merenda at en.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5
Lake Gaston through an angler’s eyes
Lake Gaston is a reservoir in Warren County, Northampton County and Halifax County, part of NCWRC fisheries District 3. NID records give it 20,300 acres of surface water. Gaston – North Saddle Dam (1963) impounds the Roanoke to form it. A drive of about 7 miles reaches Macon, the nearest town.
NCWRC sources name striped bass, bodie bass, american shad, hickory shad, walleye and black crappie here. Boaters can use 5 mapped launches; 4 belong to the NCWRC access program. NCWRC requested 406,000 1-2 in striped bass for this water in 2026. Anglers can find 3 NCWRC fish attractors, 3 marked by buoys. NC WRC owns the public access points.
Getting a boat onto Lake Gaston
- Hawtree Creek2 lanes, 44 trailer spaces, 1 dock, NC WRC
- Henrico2 lanes, 14 trailer spaces, 1 dock, NC WRC
- Salmons Landing2 lanes, 30 trailer spaces, 2 docks, NC WRC
- Summit2 lanes, 75 trailer spaces, 2 docks, NC WRC
- Boat launch, Lake Gastonboat ramp, public
Public fishing areas by Lake Gaston
- Salmons Landing1 pier, owner NC WRC, open
Nearest put-ins to Lake Gaston
- Kimball Point Park Boat RampJohn H. Kerr Reservoir, 11 miles west
- County LineKerr Lake, 11 miles west
- Henderson Point Park Boat Ramp, Vance County, east rampJohn H. Kerr Reservoir, 13 miles west
- Henderson PointKerr Lake, 13 miles west
- Henderson Point Park Boat Ramp, Vance County, west rampJohn H. Kerr Reservoir, 14 miles west
- Hibernia Park Boat RampJohn H. Kerr Reservoir, 15 miles west
NCWRC Boating Access Areas and Public Fishing Areas, USACE Wilmington District, USFS and OpenStreetMap, checked October 2026.
Pool level at Lake Gaston
Dominion Energy, reading dated 10/11/2026. Agency page with the live chart.
What hits in Lake Gaston
The list for Lake Gaston is built from NCWRC stocking, rule tables, species profiles and the record book. regulated: 4; stocked: 1; named in the NCWRC profile: 1; state record: 1.
NCWRC 2026 stocking list, warm-water regulations, species profiles and state records.
Hatchery fish for Lake Gaston
| Species | Size | Number | Program | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Striped Bass | 1-2" | 406,000 | MGT | Eaton's Ferry, NC 903 |
NCWRC 2026 warmwater stocking list and the live trout stocking report. North Carolina stocking.
Harvest rules for Lake Gaston
For Lake Gaston, the Commission sets these special limits.
| Species | Size limit | Daily creel |
|---|---|---|
| Striped Bass And Bodie Bass (Striped Bass Hybrid) | 20-inch minimum (Oct. 1 – May 31)No minimum size limit (June 1 – Sept. 30) | 4 in combination |
| Shad (American And Hickory) | No American shad may be possessed. | No American shad may be possessed. |
| Walleye | 18-inch minimum | 5 |
| 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 Lake Gaston.
NCWRC 2026-27 inland regulations (eRegulations), checked October 2026. All North Carolina limits.
Record fish caught at Lake Gaston
| Species | Weight | Date | Bait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chain Pickerel | 8 lbs | 02/13/1968 | Minnow |
NCWRC freshwater state records, angler names left out. All records.
Lake Gaston as a tournament stop
For Lake Gaston events and results, open the tournament page.
Neighbor lakes of Lake Gaston
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Stocked 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Gaston | 20,300 | 5 | yes | |
| John H. Kerr Reservoir | 12 miles west | 48,900 | 17 | |
| Fox Reservoir | 21 miles southwest | 0 | yes | |
| Roanoke Rapids Lake | 22 miles east | 4,600 | 4 | yes |
| Lake Devin | 33 miles southwest | 1 | yes | |
| Mayo Reservoir | 43 miles west | 2,800 | 1 |
In reach of Lake Gaston
Next reservoirs over from Lake Gaston
- John H. Kerr Reservoir12 miles west
- Fox Reservoir21 miles southwest
- Roanoke Rapids Lake22 miles east
- Lake Devin33 miles southwest
- Mayo Reservoir43 miles west
Where to buy bait by Lake Gaston
- Morningstar Marinas, 1865 Eaton Ferry Rdmarina, Littleton, 9 miles
- Olde Country Rodsbait and tackle shop, Littleton, 14 miles
- Satterwhite Point Marinamarina, Henderson, 16 miles
- Kerr Lake Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Henderson, 17 miles
- Angler's Fish-N-Matebait and tackle shop, Henderson, 23 miles
Towns nearest Lake Gaston
- Macon7 miles
- Norlina8 miles
- Warrenton10 miles
Lake Gaston county links
- Warren Countyseat: Warrenton
- Northampton Countyseat: Jackson
- Halifax Countyseat: Halifax
Reels and a lip grip from Piscifun
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Worth knowing about Lake Gaston
Which NCWRC district covers Lake Gaston?
Warren County, Northampton County and Halifax County, in NCWRC District 3, about 7 miles from Macon.
Is Lake Gaston a big lake?
The dam record lists 20,300 acres.
Does a ramp reach Lake Gaston?
Access records list 5 launches; Salmons Landing is one.
What species does Lake Gaston hold?
Expect striped bass, bodie bass, american shad, hickory shad, walleye and black crappie.
What does NCWRC put in Lake Gaston?
The 2026 warmwater list shows 406,000 1-2 in striped bass.
Is Lake Gaston under special regulations?
Striped Bass And Bodie Bass (Striped Bass Hybrid): 20-inch minimum (Oct. 1 – May 31)No minimum size limit (June 1 – Sept. 30), 4 in combination; Shad (American And Hickory): No American shad may be possessed., No American shad may be possessed.
Can visitors fish Lake Gaston?
An NCWRC inland fishing license from age 16, $32 a year for residents.
Is there a live reading for Lake Gaston?
See the Dominion Energy reading on this page.
Which counter sells bait nearest Lake Gaston?
Closest on our list: Morningstar Marinas, 9 miles.
Block out a day for Lake Gaston
Read the limits, then pick a ramp above.