Lake Waccamaw Hints

From Jess Powell

Destination Lake Waccamaw Presentation by Forest Duncan

The Wildlife Landing on Canal Cove Road is where you want to put in.  I strongly suggest getting there as early as possible that morning; not necessarily because it gets crowded, but the fishing is substantially better early in the morning (and later in the evening).  The Lake fishes like a true freshwater lake with bream, bass, and perch.  Poppers early, buggers, clousers, assorted streamers, ant patterns, and San Juan worms will suffice this time of year and are always a hit throughout the day.

Patience is not a virtue at the Lake.  If you can’t smell fish, they aren’t on a bed, and if you don’t catch a couple within the first few casts, leave and try elsewhere.  The Lake is big and I suggest working around piers and lily pads along the northwest side.  The water gets deeper quicker and the bottom is much softer and darker around the base of piers.  You won’t find many fish along the true western shore until you get down towards Turkey Pin Point.  You will recognize the Point as you will be moving towards the Dam and grass beds around piers will become more prominent.  Cypress knees and various tree stumps litter the bottom down towards the Dam on this side of the Lake, however, unlike the northwest side, the natural bottom structure is a little closer in to the shore, so don’t be afraid to move in closer.

Moving past the Dam along the southeastern shore will be the State Park which continues for several miles until the residential houses begin again moving east.  While a grassy shoreline and low boat traffic looks fishy from afar, this side of the Lake historically hasn’t produced many fish.  It is really shallow, clear water with hardy sandy bottom and little natural bottom structure (stumps/cypress knees).  I wouldn’t spend too much time over there.  The eastern shore is shallow and clear as well, however there are several areas you may want to try.  The mouth of Big Creek does sometimes produce a decent amount of fish.  There are also a few lily pad beds 50-1000 yards out past the no wake zone poles.  You may find a few fish there.

The blue bream may be on the bed or starting to get there by the weekend.  I haven’t been able to fish much at all this Spring but from what I’ve heard, the unseasonably cool weather has kept them off the bed for the most part.  This actually isn’t a bad time at all to be fishing the Lake.  July and August are tough but with a cool spring, I think you may do quite well.  Fish early and late, if you can.  Just before dark can be fantastic if the wind is down.

If the fishing is slow, head over to Whiteville and get a Ward’s burger.  Talk to Kandle, Junior’s daughter, tell her I sent you.  If you go be sure to go before noon or Junior will be out of burgers.  If Junior is closed, head a few doors down to Ed’s.  If Ed’s is closed, Jerry’s is just as good.  The burger scene in Whiteville is tremendous.  Seriously.

NOTE WELL:

This was written several years ago for a trip later in the Spring than our trip.

Some Additional Comments from Forest:

The third dock north of the sailing club dock has several very large submerged cypress stumps that can be seen from a boat in the clear water.  Bream bed-up there.

The lily pads just north of the sailing club dock usually hold bream.  The end of the sailing club dock is a good spot for white perch.  They are turned on by any streamer pattern and also by bright orange poppers.

There are two public launch ramps on the lake; one on the east shore and one on the west shore.  The west ramp is the NC Wildlife ramp.  Parking is very limited, although I was there on a Saturday and it was crowded.

I have not personally seen the east shore ramp; however, I was told this is the best ramp to launch from for fishing although it sounded like the ramp may be a bit more rustic than the NC ramp.  Launching at this ramp puts you into a pond which you must navigate through.  Some of the obstacles include a low bridge and a canal.  If you head North from the pond, you come into Lake Waccamaw.  Heading South puts you into the head of the Waccamaw River.

As you enter the lake from the pond, there are lots of grass beds where bream and bass hang out.  This is also a good area to wade and fish, particularly to the south.

Heading South on the lake, you eventually get to a dam.  There are grass beds along the dam.  This is another hot spot for wading.

The lake bottom is peat and the lake is a Carolina bay.  The north shore is limestone with rocks under the limestone.    Most of the lake is 8’ deep with some holes from 13’ to 15’ deep. 

The lake holds bream, very large catfish, bass, white perch, and shellcrackers, just to name a few.

The lake is generally calm until around 4:00 pm when a sea breeze fills in from Myrtle Beach.  The day I was there this breeze came up around 2:00.