Lake James
Walleye water, stocked through the 2026 season program; 180,000 fish in the published allocation.
McDowell County ยท North Carolina · see it on the national map
2026 season
program
1
species
180,000
fish allocated
5,965
acres (NHD)
What swims here
Walleye
State record fish caught here
North Carolina state record
Tiger Muskellunge
33 lbs, 8 oz
North Carolina state record
White Catfish
13 lbs
North Carolina state record
Northern Pike
11 lbs, 13 oz
Certified by N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission; weights shown exactly as the agency publishes them.
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.
| Season | Species | Size | Fish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 season | Walleye | fry | 180,000 |
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 | May 11 |
Records from N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
(official page). Placement from USGS GNIS
and the National Hydrography Dataset. Schedules change without notice.
Seasons, limits, and licenses:
North Carolina fishing
regulations.