Often overlooked by the region’s angler opting to fish bigger named lakes, Roanoke Rapids Lake is seven miles long, has over 4,600 acres of beautiful water and over 50 miles of shoreline. It harbors excellent populations of largemouth bass, spotted bass and both black and white crappie. Striper are also present.
The Roanoke River flows approximately 400 miles from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia to the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina. Named for the Roanoke tribe of Native Americans, the river drops 114 feet in elevation in 13.5 miles as it passes from the Piedmont to the Coastal Plain in North Carolina. Today there are many dams along its length.
Native Americans referred to the Roanoke as Moratoc or “river of death” because of its tendency to flood. This flooding deposited rich and fertile soil for the plantations that developed along the Roanoke in the 1700’s.
Over the years, farming along the Roanoke increased and so did the need for to getting tobacco, cotton and other goods to market. In 1784, George Washington said river transportation could “open a wide door and make a smooth way for the produce of that Country to pass to our markets …”
Knowing this, Virginia Gov. Patrick Henry signed legislation in 1783 for Virginia to make transportation improvements on the Roanoke. North Carolina followed suit in 1784. This led to the establishment of the Roanoke Navigation Company canal and
locks. In 1824, a nine-mile long canal was developed on which bateaux — up to 65 feet long — were used to transport produce and other goods. At the peak, about 353 bateaux were in use, carrying goods estimated at about $6 million per year.
With the advent of railroad transportation, the navigation canal became unprofitable. However, the same severe change in elevation that required the construction of the canal was valuable for the production of hydromechanical power and hydro-electricity.
In 1882, the Roanoke Navigation Water Power and Manufacturing Co. purchased the old navigation canal. In time, a corn mill, grain elevator and cotton mill were built. They used hydro-mechanical power from the canal. By 1900, electric power plants were built at the locks in Roanoke Rapids and Weldon.
At about the same time, Major Thomas Emry, the “Father of Roanoke Rapids,” established what would become the Roanoke Rapids Power Co. Emry built a power canal eight-tenths of a mile long that helped start the city of Roanoke Rapids. This opened the door to textile and paper mills that employed hundreds.
In 1909, the Roanoke Paper Manufacturing Co. opened. It would become the first Kraft Paper Mill in the United States. The mill still operates today, drawing about 24 million gallons of water a day from the old power canal.
In 1924, the Virginia Railway and Power Co. (predecessor of today’s Dominion) bought the Roanoke Rapids Power Co. Electricity was provided from the power canal until the company started operation of the Roanoke Rapids Lake Hydro-Station in 1955.
Today, these facilities provide electricity to thousands of households and many industries, while providing home sites, outdoor recreation and tourism.
Good fishing is what draws W2 Pro Team member Noah Peters to Roanoke Rapids Lake. The 26-year-old resident of Gates County, North Carolina has fished the lake hard the past four years.
“Over the past 3-4 years, I have dedicated much of my time to fishing on Roanoke Rapids Lake,” Peters told W2, “My journey with this lake began when the Jon Boat Elite Trail introduced it as a new location on their schedule, offering a fresh challenge.”
Peters was named the 2024 Jon Boat Elite Angler of the Year and finished first in this year’s event amassing 29.94 pounds over the two-day event.
The young angler says he considers the lake “one of the premier fishing destinations on the East Coast.” If he were to rank it, he told W2, the lake would certainly be among the top five in the region.
The lake is not deep, averaging 16’ and at times much of the lake under five feet is inundated with aquatic weeds like hydrilla and milfoil. There are stumps and rocks strewn about the lake bottom so navigation can be tricky.
“For anglers exploring the lake for the first time, I recommend proceeding with caution. There are numerous offshore flats, as well as stumpy and rocky points that could easily damage a boat if you’re unfamiliar with the area,” Peters noted.
He also told W2 that sonar technology is crucial when fishing the lake.
“In my experience, sonar technology is crucial when fishing on Roanoke Rapids Lake. The lake features a diverse range of points, offshore structures, flats, and grass lines, making it essential for anglers to understand the underwater terrain.”
Another aspect Peters says is worth noting about the fishing on Roanoke Rapids Lake is the current generated by Lake Gaston dam releases.
“The fish here are closely influenced by the water flow from the Lake Gaston dam. Once the dam starts generating, it creates a consistent current throughout Roanoke Rapids Lake, which affects fish behavior.”
With few coves and creeks and fairly significant flow at times, Roanoke Rapids Lake fishes a lot like a river. When the water is moving it positions fish on structure likes stumps, rocks and weed lines where they can ambush prey.
While anytime is a good time to fish, Peters does identify late winter and early spring as a peak period for big bass.
“In my opinion, the optimal time to fish the lake is from February through March, when the bass are preparing for the spawn. The grass in the lake starts to grow during this period, too, making navigation challenging. However, if you can locate patches of bright, healthy grass, you’ll find bass nearby.”
Using crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits along the old Roanoke River channel is good when water is moving before the vegetation becomes too dense.
Fishing a Texas-rigged stickbait around grass edges and in open pockets around stumps is a good tactic to use during low current times in areas with heavy grass. Pitching a jig is also worth trying. When all else fails, anglers should consider the old ball and chain – the Carolina rig tipped with a creature bait along the edges of grass. If you ever encounter schooling bass, a soft plastic jerkbait is a good choice. Frog fishing over grass beds can also be productive on overcast days.
Other fish anglers can target in the lake include striper, which are often active near the Lake Gaston dam when current is flowing. Topwaters and soft plastic jerkbaits are the top baits for these conditions. Anglers will vertically jig spoons for the stripers in deeper, main lake areas.
Crappie fishing on the lake if very good before the grass gets too thick. Anglers will target them with Beetle Spins casted around shallow stumps in the spring. The fish tend to congregate around deeper structure the rest of the year including brush piles, rockpiles and channel drops.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries operate and maintain three boat landings on Roanoke Rapids Lake – the Thelma Boating Access area in the upper end, the 5th Street Boat Landing on the lower end and the Roanoke Rapids City ramp, also on the lower end of the lake. Pay close attention to the lake’s navigational buoys to avoid hitting a rock or shallow flat during a visit.
