Freshwater Fishing in North Carolina

Discover North Carolina’s top three big bass freshwater fishing lakes — Falls Lake, Jordan Lake, and Shearon Harris Lake with Outdoor Expeditions USA guided bass fishing trips. Anglers of all experience levels will enjoy time on the waters near Raleigh, NC.

Falls Lake

Falls Lake was built by the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers and completed in 1983. Falls is fed by major tributaries that include Little, Eno and Flat rivers, as well as New Light, Ledge and Lick creeks. Normal pool is 251.5 ft. above sea level. Hundreds of laydowns and patches of standing timber are found throughout the lake. Submerged roadbeds, islands and creek channel drops are key structural features. Falls offers great fishing year round with February, March and April being the best months of the year to catch a true trophy largemouth. Falls lake covers 12,400 acres and has 230 miles of undeveloped shoreline.

Jordan Lake

Jordan Lake was also built by the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers and was completed in 1981. Major tributaries are Haw and New Hope Rivers, as well as Beaver, Little Beaver, Morgan and White Oak creeks. Normal pool is 216 ft. above sea level. Jordan covers 13,900 acres and offers great fishing year round. February, March and April offer the best opportunity for double digit largemouth. Creek channel drops, roadbeds, standing timber and laydowns all hold nice largemouth. The crappie fishing is also excellent on Jordan Lake.It is considered North Carolina’s #1 trophy bass fishery.

Shearon Harris Lake

Shearon Harris Lake is owned by Duke/Progress Energy and is 4100 acres in size. Though it’s considerably smaller than it’s neighboring lakes, Harris has good population of largemouth bass, crappie and white perch. Bass can be caught a variety of ways on Harris. Key structural features are roadbeds, creek channel drops, and points. The crappie fishing here is some of the best in the state.

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Based on 230 reviews
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Rebecca Quinones profile picture
Rebecca Quinones
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We booked with Joel for a four hour trip after someone else canceled on us last minute. Joel was incredible about accommodating our schedule even when we had to pivot at the last minute. My son had a wonderful time, as did the adults that joined him. Everyone said that Joel was patient, knowledgeable, and really enjoyable to spend the time with. I wouldn’t hesitate to book with him again in the future. Thanks for a great experience!
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Melissa profile picture
Melissa
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Joel is the best, look no further! My family of 4 had a wonderful time because Joel knew where to find the fish, helped us with everything, took lots of pics for us so we could cherish the memory, and was a fun guide to be with.
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Amy Dolce
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We had an AMAZING time fishing with Joel! I hadn’t been fishing in years, but Joel was great with instructing us on what to do. He knew all of the best spots on the lake for catching different types of fish, helped us with any questions we had, and was an all-around interesting and personable guy! Highly recommended, for beginners and pros alike. We would absolutely go fishing with Joel again! :)
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donald jones
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Awesome experience...if catching fish is your goal this is your best option... Outdoor Expeditions USA was worth every penny ...
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Anca T profile picture
Anca T
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We booked a family fishing trip with Joel for my dad's birthday. My 11 year old son, my dad and husband, all had an amazing time. They all mentioned how knowledgeable and nice Joel was and they caught a lot of different types of fish. They caught a beautiful sunrise too! We will be repeat customers for sure!
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Matthew Edwards profile picture
Matthew Edwards
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Amazing trip with Joel right before the 4th. Joel had us on the fish within 10 minutes of leaving the dock. We have fished before but Joel taught us something new and made for a great trip.
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Eddy Maharaj profile picture
Eddy Maharaj
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Captain Joel is awesome. Great boat, taught my daughter how to fish and extremely catering. Highly recommended to anyone interested in a relaxed fishing trip.
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Matt Burke profile picture
Matt Burke
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Joel is a great guide. I took my 4-year old out for his first fishing trip and he caught something in less than 5 minutes. Great time and built an lot of great memories. Highly recommend.
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Maaran Durham profile picture
Maaran Durham
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We booked a family fishing trip at Shearon Harris as a present for my son’s 13th birthday and he brought two of his friends. Joel was very knowledgeable and patient with all three boys. They all came away with some good catches and new skills! I did not fish myself, but thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and wildlife from the boat ride and learned more about the lake. I highly recommend using Outdoor Expeditions!
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Mike Guittar
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Great fishing trip. My nephew and I had a great time fishing. We highly recommend.