For those of you who didn’t step foot in this beautiful city so far, you need to know that it has the largest number of inhabitants in all North Carolina, counting for around 860,000 people. For one full decade, the city was named as the fastest-growing metro area in all the United States and is now considered one of the largest millennial hubs in the country.
In terms of geography, Charlotte was blessed for being near the Catawba River and the Lake Norman, the largest man-made lake in the state. Other man-made lakes located near the city include Mountain Island Lake and Lake Wylie.
It represents a true paradise for passionate anglers and fishermen and, thanks to its humid subtropical climate, it allows enthusiasts to fish almost the entire year. If you’re planning a fishing trip with your best friends or family around this area, here are some spots you might be interested in.
Lake Norman
As we previously mentioned, this is the largest man-made lake in the entire North Carolina and features no less than 520 miles of coastline, a true paradise for anglers and fly fishers. Even though it is mainly used for motor boating, this doesn’t mean that you can’t still find a wide selection of fish to try your skills on.
Now, all you are left with is finding a good lure retriever and hope to catch white perch, bass, crappie, carp, sunfish or catfish. If you want to find a quiet spot to fish, you may want to try the Beatties Ford entrance in Denver, located less than two hours away from Charlotte.
Mountain Island Lake
Located near Lake Norman, the shoreline of this water resembles more the one of a river, making it the perfect spot for fly casting. The waters are clean and clear, allowing you to spot and easily catch bream, bass or carp.
However, you may want to go further away from the shoreline if you want to find a more isolated location to cast your reel. We suggest using a small boat or a kayak for a day away from the hectic city life.
Freedom Park
There are plenty of beautiful places to relax in inside Charlotte as well, and Freedom Park is one of them. Just a few minutes away from uptown, the park ensures various ways of entertainment and fun outdoor activities, including fishing. In these waters, you’ll be surprised to find channel catfish, largemouth bass, and bluegill.
What’s even better is that this place is child-friendly, meaning you can bring your entire family for a picnic or a fishing trip and, whenever the little ones get bored, they have easy access to the playground area.
Colonel Francis Beatty Park
Probably the most popular fishing spot inside the city, the Colonel Francis Beatty park spreads over 265 acres of land and waters. The pond is about 20 acres and has a depth of around 18 feet, enough to be filled with bluegill and largemouth bass for you to fish.
The park is open daily from dawn to dusk, so you’ll get plenty of time for a catch and release game or teaching your children the art of fishing. What we also liked is that there are plenty of places from where you can borrow a reel and rod and even buy bait, meaning you’ll have everything it takes to enjoy a pleasant day fishing trip.
Don’t forget to bring your North Carolina fishing license at all these spots or else you won’t be able to enjoy the catch.