Lake James
Fishing and stocking
Stocked through the 2026 season program: walleye; 180,000 fish in the published allocation. A 5,965-acre reservoir, and one of 6 stocked waters on the McDowell County record. This water holds 3 North Carolina state records, including the tiger muskellunge at 33 lbs, 8 oz, caught in 1988.
McDowell County ยท North Carolina · see it on the national map
What swims here
Walleye
State record fish caught here
Certified by N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission; weights shown exactly as the agency publishes them. Record book read October 2026.
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 | Walleye | fry | 180,000 |
When to fish Lake James
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:05 am-12:05 pm and 10:28 pm-12:28 am | 4:22-5:22 am and 4:39-5:39 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:51 am-12:51 pm | 5:27-6:27 am and 5:07-6:07 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
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · North Carolina fishing forecast
Gear for this water
For the walleye (walleye on the season program here, stillwater)
| Jig and minnow | 1/8 to 1/4 oz round jigs tipped live or plastic; drag the bottom slowly |
| Crawler harness | slow-trolled over flats and breaks once water warms |
| Medium spinning rod | 6.5 to 7 ft medium, 8 lb line; sensitivity beats power here |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| North Fork Catawba River | 1.8 mi | May 20 |
| Armstrong Creek | 5.4 mi | Jun 17 |
| Linville River | 6.6 mi | Jun 17 |
| Grassy Creek | 13 mi | May 13 |
| Curtis Creek | 13 mi | Oct 5 |
Follow McDowell County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule