Fishing at Back Lake, Dare County, North Carolina

• Overview

  Look for Back Lake in Dare County, North Carolina. This is pine and hardwood ground. Surface area is around 114 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Bank access stretches around 1.9 miles in total. Ground here is low by North Carolina standards. Nearest town is Wanchese, 14 miles off. It is 80 miles to Virginia Beach, the nearest city. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Back Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Work the tide here — moving water feeds, slack water rests. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Dare County include bluegill, American eel and pumpkinseed. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Back Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 79°F in July and bottom out at 44°F in January. Heat sets the pattern from late spring onward. October and November give a second good stretch as it cools. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. At Back Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Stumpy Point Bay is 2.5 miles distant. Rules at Back Lake are worth checking on the day.