Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir)

Mecklenburg, Halifax & Charlotte Counties (shared with NC), Virginia

Buggs Island Lake straddles the Virginia and North Carolina line on the Roanoke River. It is one of Virginia's top crappie lakes and also holds big blue catfish, largemouth bass, and striped bass.

Air temp in Bullock, NC Loading current temperature…

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Current air temperature at Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir) (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area48,900 acres

Max depth100 ft

Shoreline850 mi

Boat motorsCheck local rules

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Crappie●●●●●

Fish Buffalo, Grassy, Bluestone, and Butcher creeks from February through April.

Blue Catfish●●●●○

Large blues are caught here, including a 143-pound fish in 2011.

Largemouth Bass●●●●○

When water rises, fish the flooded willows and gum trees in the backs of coves.

Striped Bass●●●○○

Look in the upper lake in spring and the lower lake in summer.

White Perch●●●○○

Schools roam open water. Small jigs, spoons and worms.

When they bite

Month-by-month activity for each target species.

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Crappie
Blue Catfish
Largemouth Bass
Striped Bass

SlowFairGoodHot

Boat launches

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

Occoneechee State ParkFee
Virginia State Parks on US 58 just east of Clarksville; three ramps, park feeDirections ↗
Rudd's Creek Recreation AreaPublic
Corps of Engineers on US 58, 8 mi east of Clarksville; two concrete rampsDirections ↗
Longwood Recreation AreaPublic
Corps of Engineers on US 15, about 7 mi south of ClarksvilleDirections ↗
Bluestone LandingPublic
Public ramp on US 15, about 5 mi north of ClarksvilleDirections ↗
More public accessPublic
See Virginia DWR or the lake manager's website for all ramps and feesDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

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

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Largemouth Bass Only 2 of 5 bass may be under 14 in (2026 digest)	See Virginia rules book ↗	5 / day combined
Striped Bass Oct-May: 2/day, no striped or hybrid under 20 in or over 26 in; Jun-Sep: 4/day, no length limit	20-26 in slot (none under 20 or over 26)	2 / day combined (Oct-May)
Crappie	9 in	25 / day combined
Blue Catfish Only 1 per day longer than 32 in	See Virginia rules book ↗	20 / day

Other species in this lake: look up the limits at Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources ↗

Verified October 2026. Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

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

Bobcat's Bait & TackleNearby
12690 Highway 15, Clarksville, VA(434) 374-8381 Directions ↗
Buggs Island Bait and TackleNearby
Clarksville, VADirections ↗
Kerr Lake Bait & TackleNearby
2989 Nutbush Rd, Henderson, NC(252) 438-5656 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir) ↗

Local tips

The upper lake and lower creek arms produce the best fishing.
North Bend Park has an accessible pier over 17 feet of water with fish attractors.
Check the lake level with the Army Corps before trips, since it changes a lot.

Angler reports

Water temp, what's biting, and anything else other anglers should know about Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir).

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Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches.