Roanoke Rapids Lake info... Never Been!!!

[JINXBASS]

Hey guys i am wanting to try Roanoke Rapids Lake next Friday. What ramp is best? What type of structure is out there? Best Baits?? Just looking for some new water to fish.


Thanks

[bass boss]

Might want to rethink. That place is gonna have some crazy current And high I guess. It been a while since last visit but under normal operation upper 1/3 has current when the pulling water. Kerr is 315 near record flood stage and Gaston is maintained within 2 foot so I guess the old lake will be rolling. It’s usually a clear lake, not right now thou I guess. Beautiful place. Middle of mid lake to Gaston dam is a huge grass flat(hydrilla). Shallow. Be careful, huge stumps. Run the buoys.

[Jumping Jimmy]

Weird lake to be sure. I typically run the edges of the lake. I cross over where I launch in town if I want to move up lake on that side. I have had my best luck fishing the grass edges along the channels in the middle of the lake. With the current running i would look for current breaks like points and cuts along the shore also.

[JINXBASS]

What ramp is best to use? I will be coming from my place on Gaston in Bracey.

[JINXBASS]

Is there a website or anyway of finding the current conditions?

[gaston13]

Never been but I hear you better know where you are running due to stumps.

[JINXBASS]

Never been but I hear you better know where you are running due to stumps.

Yea... I heard the same. But it cannot be worse than Santee!!!

[FireBassr]

It's just as bad for sure.

[munchie]

What ramp is best to use? I will be coming from my place on Gaston in Bracey.

U need to use the wildlife ramp at the bottom dam. , off 3rd street Roanoke rapids. I would not advise using the other two ramps .once u get up lake to where you see buoys, only run in buoys on on south side. No buoys on north side. Run. North side about 100 yards off shore until lake starts to close up, just before island. When in doubt, idle. Fish surface grass, hydrilla. Very defined channels.

[JINXBASS]

Sounds great!!! Thanks for the info.

[NCFatBoy]

Yea... I heard the same. But it cannot be worse than Santee!!!

Dominion Energy provides flows, but not a water level gauge reading. I have not been able to find one. Army Corp of Engineers used to present the water level, but no longer does.

[munchie]

Dominion Energy provides flows, but not a water level gauge reading. I have not been able to find one. Army Corp of Engineers used to present the water level, but no longer does.

A water level gauge would be useless, by the time you read the gauge online, , the level will have changed. Lol

[JINXBASS]

A water level gauge would be useless, by the time you read the gauge online, , the level will have changed. Lol

Gotcha...So does anyone think that Friday the lake would be a mess, or stupid crazy current? I have made tentative plans to go Friday but don't want to go if it would be classified as dangerous.

[munchie]

Gotcha...So does anyone think that Friday the lake would be a mess, or stupid crazy current? I have made tentative plans to go Friday but don't want to go if it would be classified as dangerous.

it will never be dangerous as far as amount of current as long as you stay 100 yards from upper dam. And they do let you go right up to the dam. Typically current turns on the bite. I saw a picture someone posted today where it was rock bottom low. Don't know if it was true , but lake has capability of rising or falling 5 feet or more, although normally it's around a 2,, 3 ft swing

I think you should go. Be prepared to fish grass, even off shore. Hydrilla millfoil . Not Gaston gator

[JINXBASS]

it will never be dangerous as far as amount of current as long as you stay 100 yards from upper dam. And they do let you go right up to the dam. Typically current turns on the bite. I saw a picture someone posted today where it was rock bottom low. Don't know if it was true , but lake has capability of rising or falling 5 feet or more, although normally it's around a 2,, 3 ft swing

I think you should go. Be prepared to fish grass, even off shore. Hydrilla millfoil . Not Gaston gator

That is exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks

[munchie]

Report .?

[bass boss]

Yeah. Curious to conditions as well.

[JINXBASS]

I was gonna start another thread but here you go. We went to the thema ramp. Got in the water about 6:00. We go up lake a little and hit the main lake island point. I catch 1 close to 3lbs on the 3rf or 4th cast. Nothing else there so hit another point and my brother catches a decent 1 about 2lbs. Hit another point and my brother catches 1 that is 4lbs 12oz. That's a good un. We ended up fishing till about 2:00. We caught about 12 bass an 2 pickerel. A couple over 3lbs and a couple close to 3.

We spend quite a bit of time trying to learn the water and where to run. The current was crazy. Also was pretty muddy.

I had a great time and will come back again. I want to thank everyone for all the advise and help on the trip. I really appreciate it.

[JINXBASS]

Water te.p was 68 at gaston dam and 71 at roanoke rapids dam

[munchie]

Thelma ramp. Glad you had a car to come back to.