Fishing at Lake Ellis Simon, Craven County, North Carolina

• Overview

  This water sits in Craven County, North Carolina. Beyond the shoreline you have pine and hardwood. At 587 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. At about 8.3 miles of edge, most people work one arm at a time. It is one of the larger waters we list anywhere in North Carolina. The closest town, Havelock, is 6.3 miles distant. After that come Neuse Forest at 8.7 miles and Newport at 9.3 miles. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Lake Ellis Simon

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Craven County: American eel, yellow bullhead, redfin pickerel, swamp darter and warmouth. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Take Lake Ellis Simon a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 79°F and January near 44°F on the long-run figures. The awkward stretch is midsummer, not midwinter. October and November give a second good stretch as it cools. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Lake Ellis Simon runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. This sits inside Croatan National Forest, so read the reserve notices first. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Little Lake, 1.7 miles away. What applies at Lake Ellis Simon may have changed since it was mapped.