Fishing Staley Mill Lake in Randolph County, North Carolina

• Overview

  Set in Randolph County, North Carolina, this is Staley Mill Lake. Height above sea level is 646 feet. Surface area runs to about 8 acres — small enough to read in one session. Nearest place of any size is Liberty, 3 miles away. For a city, Greensboro is 18 miles off. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Staley Mill Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Randolph County records list bluegill, redbreast sunfish, green sunfish, piedmont darter and redear sunfish among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Staley Mill Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 78°F in July and bottom out at 38°F in January. Cold never closes this one. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Staley Mill Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Wayne Isley Lake, 2.7 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Staley Mill Lake.