Johns River

Fishing, stocking, and current conditions

Muskellunge water, stocked through the 2026 season program; 300 fish in the published allocation. One of 5 stocked waters on the Burke County record. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.

Burke County · North Carolina · see it on the national map

program 2026 season

flow 131% of seasonal normal

best window 10:27 pm-12:27 am solunar major today

Water right now 2.30 ft gage height flow 218 cfs, 131% of the Oct 23 median USGS gauge 02140991 (JOHNS RIVER AT ARNEYS STORE, NC) · read 9:00 pm this evening

1 species

300 fish allocated

What swims here

Muskellunge 1 allocation

Season program record

N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission publishes this water by season or program window, not by dated schedule, so there are no truck dates to list; the rows below are the published program allocations. The North Carolina season shape statewide: march through may, october and november.

Agency feed checked today.

Season	Species	Size	Fish
2026 season	Muskellunge	yearling	300

When to fish Johns River

	Major periods (~2 h)	Minor periods (~1 h)
Today	10:04 am-12:04 pm and 10:27 pm-12:27 am	4:21-5:21 am and 4:38-5:38 pm
Tomorrow	10:50 am-12:50 pm	5:26-6:26 am and 5:05-6:05 pm

Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).

What the record actually says

Stocked through the 2026 season program
Flow 131% of the seasonal median

Computed this evening, Oct 23 · North Carolina fishing forecast

Gear for this water

For the muskie and pike (muskellunge on the season program here, moving water)

Heavy casting rod	7.5 to 9 ft heavy with 65 to 80 lb braid; these fish punish light gear
Large bucktails and gliders	big profile baits; finish every cast with a figure-eight
Steel or heavy fluoro leader	non-negotiable; pike and muskie cut everything else

Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.

Nearby stocked waters

The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.

Water	Distance	Most recent
Wilson Creek	7.7 mi	Oct 12
Linville River	11 mi	Jun 17
Boone Fork Pond	15 mi	May 13
Lake James	17 mi	2026 season
Buffalo Creek	18 mi	May 13

Follow Burke County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule

Records from N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (official page). Placement from USGS GNIS. Schedules change without notice. Seasons, limits, and licenses: North Carolina fishing regulations.