Interested in combining your love for race cars, music, and fishing in one trip? There is a perfect place in North Carolina that will satisfy all three of these diverse interests: Kannapolis. The newly revitalized city is a suburb of Charlotte and is located on the boundaries of Rowan and Cabarrus Counties. It is the birthplace of race car legend Dale Earnhardt and is the headquarters for Haas F1, the first and only F1 team in the United States. It is a burgeoning music mecca in its own right, as home to the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, which honors the greats like John Coltrane and Roberta Flack. While not a fishing destination, it is a fantastic gateway to fishing spots like Lake Norman and Lake Fisher and plenty others in south-central North Carolina.
Kannapolis is an up-and-coming hip destination in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area. It should be your home base if you're planning fishing day trips all over the south-central region of North Carolina.
First up on your fishing trip should be Lake Norman, the largest man-made lake in North Carolina. There are several convenient locations to access the lake. Jetton Road County Park and Ramsey Creek Access Area offer great amenities for anglers, including shore-fishing access, boat launches, and docks. Ramsey Creek Park has an ADA-compliant fishing pier. Lake Norman State Park in Troutman and Stump Creek in Mooresville are other places where you can pier-fish. However, one of the best ways to fish in the lake is on a kayak or canoe. The lake is quite productive and is the perfect place to target black crappie, largemouth bass, striped bass, white bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, blue catfish, bluegill, and yellow perch.
Lake Fisher is significantly smaller but yields many fish, including bluegill, black crappie, white bass, catfish, and common carp. It is a water supply reservoir, so it's only open as a recreational fishing spot. Bank-fishing and private boats, kayaks, and personal watercraft are not allowed in the lake, so you should rent a boat in the area.
If you want to fish in picturesque parks, you have several day trip choices. Frank Liske Park, Cabarrus County's largest park, is the most popular. Its small pond is regularly stocked with trout in December and channel catfish every month. There's fantastic bank fishing access in the park and fishing trails.
Rob Wallace Park and Camp T.N. Spencer Park are just as picturesque and offer excellent fishing access and amenities. Their water bodies are home to largemouth bass and redear sunfish.
Take your love for music to the next level and reserve a seat to experience the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, which usually happens in October. If you can't make it in time, visiting the Hall of Fame in the Curb Museum for Music and Motorsports is still well worth a trip.
If you’re a racing fan, you can’t miss out on the Dale Trail, a self-guided tour that tells the story of a legend — from his old haunts to the monument built in his honor.