Richmond Mill Lake in Scotland County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Richmond Mill Lake is a Scotland County water, North Carolina side. The country round it is dry hill from end to end. Roughly 142 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The full circuit measures close to 2.0 miles on foot. Of the waters listed here in Scotland County, this is the largest. The closest town, Laurel Hill, is 1.6 miles away. After that come Laurinburg at 5.5 miles and Hamlet at 9.9 miles.

• Where to Fish on Richmond Mill Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Scotland County records list pinewoods darter, bluegill and margined madtom among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Richmond Mill Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 80°F and January about 42°F. The hard part of the year is the heat, not the cold. October and November give a second good stretch as it cools. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Richmond Mill Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Monroe Mill Pond is 4.5 miles distant. For Richmond Mill Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.