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Emerson Lake

Fishing spots, fishing reports, and regulations in

North Carolina, United States

1.0·5 catches

Top fish species at Emerson Lake

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Emerson Lake fishing reports

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Spotted bass

11 in · 1 lb

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Largemouth bass

14 in · 1 lb

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Black crappie

length · weight

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Largemouth bass

length · weight

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Bluegill

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General info

Emerson Lake is a lake located in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States. It is most popular for fishing Largemouth bass, Bluegill, and Spotted bass.

Location

35°29′22.7″N 80°44′15.2″W
Directions

When are Largemouth Bass biting on Emerson Lake?

Learn what time of year and day to go fishing at Emerson Lake. Download Fishbrain today to look for new fishing spots, scout new fishing access, or prep for your next trip.

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Fishing regulations at Emerson Lake, NC

Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.

Fishing regulations in North Carolina can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.

Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Largemouth bass as of April 1st, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.

Largemouth bass

Seasons

Open

Bag limit

5

Min size

14"

Measurement

Total Length

14-inch minimum, except 2 may be less than 14 inches

For more information please see https://www.ncwildlife.org/licensing/regulations


Size and daily creel limit exceptions to state waters regulations:

Lake Santeetlah (Graham Co.)

No minimum size limit, and only 5 large- mouth bass and smallmouth bass in combination may be greater than 14 inches

No daily creel limit for large- mouth bass and smallmouth bass less than 14 inches, and only 5 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass in combination may be greater than 14 inches

Lake Cammack (Alamance Co.) and Lake Holt (Granville Co.)

No minimum size limit, and only 2 may be greater than 14 inches

10, including only 2 greater than 14 inches

New River (Alleghany Co. portion downstream of Fields Dam in Grayson Co., VA)

No minimum size, none between 14-22 inches may be possessed, and only 1 large- mouth bass, smallmouth bass, or spotted bass may be greater than 22 inches

5 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass in combination, including only 1 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, or spotted bass greater than 22 inches

Lake Chatuge (Clay Co.)

12-inch minimum

10 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, Alabama bass, and spotted bass in combination

In the following waters and their tributaries:

  • Albemarle, Croatan, Currituck, and Roanoke Sounds
  • Alligator River (including the Alligator/Pungo Canal (Intra- coastal Waterway) east of the U.S. 264/N.C. 45 bridge)
  • Big Flatty Creek (Pasquotank Co.)
  • Chowan River (including the Meherrin River)
  • Little River (Pasquotank and Perquimans counties)
  • North River (Camden and Currituck counties)
  • Northwest River (Currituck Co.)
  • Pasquotank River
  • Perquimans River
  • Roanoke River downstream of Roanoke Rapids Dam
  • Scuppernong River
  • Yeopim River
  • All other associated tributaries and canals to the waters listed above

14-inch minimum; limit 5

New Lake (Hyde Co.)

14-inch minimum; limit 5

Pungo Lake (Hyde and Washington counties)

14-inch minimum; limit 5

Lake Raleigh (Wake Co.)

14-inch minimum; limit 5

Sutton Lake (New Hanover Co.)

14-inch minimum; limit 5

Lake Hampton (Yadkin Co.) and Shearon Harris Reservoir (Chatham and Wake counties)

14-inch minimum, except 2 may be less than 14 inches and none between 16-20 inches may be possessed 5, including only 2 less than 14 inches

Lake Phelps

14-inch minimum and none between 16-20 inches may be possessed; limit 5

Buckhorn Reservoir (Nash and Wilson counties) and Cane Creek Lake (Union Co.)

16-inch minimum; limit 5

Lake Mattamuskeet and associated canals (Hyde Co.)

16-inch minimum, and only 1 may be greater than 20 inches; limit 5, including only 1 greater than 20 inches

Lake Thom-A-Lex (Davidson Co.)

18-inch minimum; limit 5

Jean Guite Creek and assoicated canals within the Town of Southern Shores (Dare Co.) and Ponds associated with Martin Marietta Park (Craven Co.)

No largemouth bass may be possessed

For more information please see https://www.ncwildlife.org/licensing/regulations

Micropterus nigricans

Regulations for

35°29′22.7″N 80°44′15.2″W
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Reviews of Emerson Lake

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Cities nearby

Davidson

4.9 miles away

Kannapolis

5.5 miles away

Cornelius

8.1 miles away

Mooresville

8.3 miles away

Concord

8.8 miles away

Huntersville

9.6 miles away

Harrisburg

13.2 miles away

Salisbury

18.4 miles away

Mount Holly

19.5 miles away

Charlotte

20.1 miles away

Statesville

21.7 miles away

Mint Hill

22.0 miles away

Belmont

25.2 miles away

Stallings

26.7 miles away

Lincolnton

28.2 miles away

Indian Trail

29.5 miles away

Gastonia

30.2 miles away

Newton

30.3 miles away

Weddington

32.2 miles away

Lake Wylie

32.7 miles away

Tega Cay

34.7 miles away

Monroe

34.9 miles away

Fort Mill

35.3 miles away

Hickory

37.2 miles away

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FAQ about Emerson Lake fishing

Emerson Lake is a lake located in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States. Its coordinates are:
35°29′22.7″N 80°44′15.2″W
.
Find the best fishing spots on Emerson Lake by looking at where other anglers have caught fish. This can easily be done in the where it is also possible to see big fish potential and how good fishing is right now along with Garmin® depth maps.
The most common species in Emerson Lake are:
The latest Emerson Lake fishing reports are:
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