Mays Lake in Alamance County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Mays Lake stands in Alamance County, North Carolina. Beyond the shoreline you have dry hill. The town to know is Burlington, 1.6 miles out. Greensboro is the closest city, 18 miles away. Also on the doorstep: Gant Lake a shade over 1.4 miles, Snoffers Lake 2.7 miles off, Shamrock Golf Course Lake a shade over 3.4 miles, Stony Creek Reservoir 4.3 miles off and Beaver Creek a shade over 4.3 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Mays Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Reported across Alamance County: green sunfish, white sucker and redbreast sunfish. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Mays Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 38°F in January and 78°F in July. It fishes twelve months of the year. The first and last hours carry the summer; the middle is slow. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Mays Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out. Conditions on the day matter more than the month on the calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Gant Lake at 1.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Mays Lake.