Inver Lochy Lake Fishing near Banner Elk, North Carolina

• Overview

  Inver Lochy Lake is an Avery County water, North Carolina side. It lies 4,042 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 3 acres — small enough to read in one session. Compared with other North Carolina water on our list, it sits high. Banner Elk at 3.5 miles is the nearest place to stop. Beyond it, Foscoe at 4.8 miles and Blowing Rock at 8.9 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Inver Lochy Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Avery County records list brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, redbreast sunfish and bluegill among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Inver Lochy Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 66°F and January near 31°F. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Anyone fishing Inver Lochy Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. There is a car park 140 yards from the bank. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. If the gate is shut, Grandfather Mountain Lake at 1.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Inver Lochy Lake for certain.