Fishing Nellie Bell Ponds in Currituck County, North Carolina

• Overview

  Nellie Bell Ponds lies in Currituck County, North Carolina. Dry hill runs right down to the water. Surface area runs to about 14 acres — small enough to read in one session. Some 3.8 miles away sits Moyock, the nearest settlement. Then Elizabeth City, 18 miles, and Chesapeake, 22 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Nellie Bell Ponds

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Work the tide here — moving water feeds, slack water rests. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Currituck County include bluegill, pumpkinseed and white catfish. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Nellie Bell Ponds gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 78°F in July and bottoms out near 41°F in January. Summer heat is the limit here, not winter cold. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. At Nellie Bell Ponds the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. There is a slipway on the shore, half a mile from the water we list. There is a jetty half a mile off, worth knowing on a busy day. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Buck Island Pond sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. What applies at Nellie Bell Ponds may have changed since it was mapped.