Evans Lake in Cumberland County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is Evans Lake. It stands 157 feet above sea level. Small at around 3 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Cumberland County list. Some 3.9 miles away sits Fayetteville, the nearest settlement. After that come Eastover at 3.9 miles and Vander at 6.6 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Evans Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Species logged across Cumberland County include redbreast sunfish, dollar sunfish and yellow bullhead. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Evans Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 80°F in July and bottom out at 42°F in January. Winter here means light layers, not lost months. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. That is the shape of the year on Evans Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Country Club Lake is 1.5 miles off. Confirm access to Evans Lake locally before you travel.