Reservoir · Virginia
Lake Gaston
Lake Gaston
Reservoir · Virginia
Information Only
StrikeTracks does not currently provide a live condition rating for this destination. Destination and fishery information is still available.
Weather Near Lake
Loading weather…
Fishery Profile
Documented species you may encounter at Lake Gaston.
Species images are AI-generated illustrations for visual reference and may simplify natural variation. Fishery records are based on the cited agency sources. About fish illustrations
Fishery overview
Lake Gaston is the Roanoke River reservoir downstream of Kerr Dam and upstream of Roanoke Rapids, a Virginia / North Carolina striped-bass, largemouth, walleye, catfish, pickerel, and bluegill lake. It is not Kerr / Buggs Island and not Smith Mountain.
Target species
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus nigricans
- Expectation
- Primary
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
DWR: excellent largemouth bass population; vegetation and docks are primary cover.
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
DWR: channel catfish listed among resident Lake Gaston sport fish.
Striped bass
Morone saxatilis
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- High confidence
DWR: quality striped bass; NCWRC stocks the interstate reservoir.
Bluegill
Lepomis macrochirus
- Expectation
- Present
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
DWR: bluegill listed among resident Lake Gaston sport fish.
Chain Pickerel
Esox niger
- Expectation
- Present
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
DWR: chain pickerel listed among resident Lake Gaston sport fish.
Walleye
Sander vitreus
- Expectation
- Present
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- High confidence
DWR annually stocks walleyes; best fishing usually upper end in February–March.
Fishery characteristics
- Composition
- Mixed wild and stocked
Mainstem Roanoke storage between Kerr Dam and Roanoke Rapids Dam, with creek arms on both the Virginia and North Carolina shores and open-water lanes for striped bass and walleye. The Kerr pool upstream is a different destination.
Best seasons
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
Common techniques
- Boat fishing
- Shore fishing
- Spinning
- Trolling
Access and Public Fishing Rights
Public ramps exist on both the Virginia and North Carolina shores of Gaston. Confirm current launch status for the state you will trailer in. Catalog coordinates are a Gaston pool reference, not a Kerr Dam pin.
Stocking information
Existing notes treat Gaston striped bass, largemouth, walleye, and warmwater fish as established interstate-reservoir populations. Confirm any current Virginia DWR or North Carolina WRC plants on official schedules for Lake Gaston by name, not Kerr.
- Stocked
Striped bass
Stocked · Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
- Stocked
Walleye
Stocked · Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
Official sources
Virginia and North Carolina rules can differ on the same Roanoke River pool. Do not apply one state’s bag or season lakewide. Carry the license required for the water you fish and verify current DWR and NCWRC regulations. Do not use Kerr / Buggs Island pages as Gaston law.
Location and Access
Cataloged lake location
Virginia
The map marker represents the cataloged waterbody or monitoring location and may not indicate legal parking or public access. Confirm access through the official information before visiting.
Lake Details
Management Category
Reservoir / catalog-visible Unavailable
Regulation Scope
Lake Gaston
Regulation Summary
Virginia freshwater fishing regulations apply; confirm current seasons, access, and limits.
Target Species
Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass
Public Access
Public
Description
Roanoke River reservoir, VA/NC, downstream of Kerr Dam and upstream of Roanoke Rapids. Distinct from existing Kerr. Catalog-visible Unavailable under accepted MIDATL-1A / POLICY-1: kind=reservoir, no qualifying same-lake USGS water-temperature station, ordinary L-C/L-D Estimated prohibited. Interstate reservoir pool; ordinary L-C/L-D prohibited. Elevation, outlet/tailwater, tributary, and nearby-lake readings are not lake-body thermal. Unavailable means insufficient information, not Poor. Confirm current regulations and access. Coordinates are a public lake reference point, not a verified launch pin.
