Mott Lake Fishing near Raeford, North Carolina

• Overview

  Set in Hoke County, Mott Lake is a North Carolina water. The country round it is oak and grass from end to end. The water covers some 143 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. You are looking at roughly 3.4 miles of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. By surface area it heads our Hoke County listings. The nearest town is Raeford, 5.5 miles away. The big place round here is Fayetteville, 19 miles distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Mott Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Survey and observation records for Hoke County include margined madtom, sawcheek darter and redfin pickerel. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Read Mott Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 79°F; by January the average is down near 41°F. Winter is the comfortable season here rather than the difficult one. Late winter and spring fish steadiest here. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. At Mott Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. McKiethan Pond, 3.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Mott Lake should be assumed from this page alone.