Forest Lake, North Carolina: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Forest Lake lies in Rutherford County, North Carolina. The water sits 922 feet up. At 22 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. You are 2.2 miles from Forest City. For a city, Charlotte is 59 miles off. Within easy reach: Fraternal Order of Eagles Lake about 1.7 miles, Isothermal Community College Lake at about 2.5 miles, Sunnyside Lake about 4.5 miles, Lyles Lake at about 9.9 miles and Hayes Lake about 10 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Forest Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Rutherford County records list striped jumprock, redbreast sunfish and seagreen darter among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Fish Forest Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 78°F at the top of summer and 39°F at the bottom of winter. It fishes twelve months of the year. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. It holds true on Forest Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Fraternal Order of Eagles Lake at 1.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Forest Lake before loading the car.