Jordan Lake

Chatham & Durham Counties, North Carolina

Jordan Lake is an Army Corps reservoir southwest of Raleigh and Durham in Chatham County. It is one of North Carolina's best crappie lakes.

Air temp in Bynum, NC Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Surface area13,940 acres

Max depth—

Shoreline180 mi

Boat motorsUnlimited horsepower

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Two pound crappie are possible, especially from November through February.

Weeds, docks and wood in the shallows.

Deep channel edges. Fresh cut shad. Big fish in winter.

Cut bait and nightcrawlers on flats and creek mouths in the evening.

Weed beds and shallow flats in late spring.

6 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

Ebenezer Church AccessFee
Jordan Lake State Recreation Area ramp off Beaver Creek Rd; seasonal entrance feeDirections ↗
Vista Point AccessFee
State recreation area ramp, open March to NovemberDirections ↗
New Hope Overlook AccessFee
State recreation area ramp and trail at the south end, open year-roundDirections ↗
Poplar Point AccessFee
State recreation area campground and ramp off US 64Directions ↗
Crosswinds Boating CenterFee
State recreation area access on US 64 with marina and rampDirections ↗
More public accessPublic
See NC Wildlife or the lake manager's website for all ramps and feesDirections ↗

Special rules for this lake, confirmed from official state regulations. Minimum size and daily limit.

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Crappie Black and white combined. Lake not listed as exception for largemouth or striped bass (statewide applies); catfish not in table	8 in	20 / day combined

Other species in this lake: look up the limits at North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission ↗

Verified October 2026. Rules change, so confirm current limits with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission before you fish.

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Fiddle StixNearby
5871 US-64, Pittsboro, NC(919) 542-0985 Directions ↗
Seagroves Supply CoNearby
8321 NC 751 Hwy, Durham, NC(919) 544-3918 Directions ↗

In winter, crappie hold on deep ledges and flats in 20 to 45 feet of water.
Use a graph to find shad schools and suspended crappie, since their depth changes daily.
Bridge pilings in deep water are reliable crappie spots.

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches; blue pins are bait shops nearby.

Always wear a life jacket and check your state's current regulations before you fish.