Carrboro, NC Fishing: Town Filled With Wonderful Arts And Crafts

Carrboro is part of Orange County in North Carolina, United States. Carrboro has a reputation as one of the most progressive communities among the southeastern towns in the United States. 

Carrboro's history is similar to many mill towns in North Carolina. The Carrboro area is found west of Chapel Hill and was initially known as West End. In 1900, Carrboro briefly called itself Lloydville to honor Thomas F. Lloyd of Chapel Hill after he built a steam-powered grist mill near the University Station. Later in 1911, West End was incorporated and given the name Venable in honor of Francis Preston Venable, a chemistry professor and the University of North Carolina president. Two years afterward, the area was renamed Carrboro after Carr provided electric power for the residents and expanded the mill.

Carrboro is a small town full of craft galleries, organic grocery stores, and indie music venues. Carrboro's ArtsCenter and the Dirty South Institute (DSI) Comedy Theater present cutting-edge plays and exhibitions. Carrboro also boasts fantastic parks for recreation. Carrboro has ten parks, ranging from large community parks to small neighborhood parks and playgrounds. The Adams Tract is a 27-acre urban forest area near central Carrboro that contains 1.25 miles of tracks for walking and hiking. Several Carrboro neighborhood parks and other facilities deliver multipurpose fields and playground equipment to the community.

Carrboro is also a paradise for anglers seeking excellent fishing tours in Orange County and North Carolina.

Carrboro Fishing

North Carolina offers some of the country's best fishing with plenty of species and trophy game fish. Fishing in the state will surely blow your mind. Anglers will surely enjoy fishing in Carrboro.

The best way to start a fishing trip in Carrboro is by visiting the 213-acre public lake known as the University Lake. The lake is open for public recreation, including canoeing, boating using flat-bottom boats, fishing, picnicking and sunbathing. Anglers can catch fish like largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, yellow bullhead, channel catfish, bluegill, and blue catfish. University Lake is a family-friendly lake with parking spaces and picnic areas available for public use. Trails are also open for hiking and walking activities. Piers and docks are open for bank fishing, while there are also areas for fly fishing. Anglers can use the boat ramps to launch their boat and go drift fishing. 

University Lake lies at the intersection of five creeks: Phil's Creek, Neville Creek, Morgan Creek, Price Creek, and Pritchard's Mill Creek. These creeks are known for bass fishing. Bass is the belle of fishing in Carrboro and North Carolina. Anglers can find bass at any lake or pond they stumble upon in Carrboro.

Fan Branch is on the eastern side of University Lake. The fishing area is a famous fly fishing spot in Carrboro and Chapel Hill. Some fish species of anglers can target in Fan Branch includes largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill, creek chub, blue catfish, flathead catfish, common shiner, and pumpkinseed. Anglers can hire charters and go for crappie fishing trips in areas like Fan Branch. Aside from fishing, you can also try some hiking and walking trails in Fan Branch. 

Carrboro is home to many parks that are best for recreational activities. Carrboro's Henry Anderson III Park has a small pond open for fishing. Anglers can fish from the banks and catch fish like channel catfish, largemouth bass, grass carp, blue catfish, bluegill, rock bass, and redear sunfish. Near the Henry Anderson III Park pond is Tanbark Branch. This body of water is known for its ample amount of bass. Aside from bass, anglers can hook bluegill, pumpkinseed, white shiner, green sunfish, creek chub, channel catfish, and European chub in Tanbark Branch.

Jolly Branch sits between Carrboro and Chapel Hill and brags trophy channel catfish and largemouth bass. It is known to anglers who target green sunfish, bluegill, and creek chub. Anglers can also visit Wilson Creek near Carrboro in the lower Chapel Hill area. Aside from being an excellent location for anglers targeting largemouth bass and spotted bass, there are other fish species in the creek that anglers can catch. Green sunfish, bluegill, yellow bullhead, channel catfish, warmouth, and creek chub are available in the fishing area for anglers' delight. Bolin Creek is another fishing haven between Carrboro and its twin town Chapel Hill. The creek is also an excellent fishing location abundant with bass, catfish, bluegill, brown bullhead, bluegill, redfin pickerel, longear sunfish, crappie, and bowfin.

Top 10 Fish Species in Carrboro, NC

The top 10 fish species found in Carrboro, NC, are largemouth bass, spotted bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow bullhead, blue catfish, flathead catfish, channel catfish, and pumpkinseed.

Seasonal Fishing

Bass fishing in North Carolina is prolific year-round. However, anglers who target spotted bass, largemouth bass, and smallmouth bass in the Carrboro area get the best results during spring and fall. Spotted and smallmouth bass begin spawning in April and May, while largemouth bass' take place every spring. Just like bass, crappie fishing is open to anglers year-round. Their spawning season lasts from March through May. Crappie are fun to capture and excellent to eat. Anglers can target bluegill during spring and early summer. Bluegills spawn from April through October and their breeding period peaks between May and June. Yellow bullhead anglers usually target the fish species after sunset and just before sunrise. Bullhead spawning period occur from May through June. Anglers target channel catfish during April, May, September, and October, while flathead catfish are available from spring to fall. Anglers catch blue catfish throughout the year, but March through May are the prime months to target them. There is no closed season for pumpkinseed, and anglers can target them anytime.

Experience Life Full of Arts in Carrboro

Carrboro welcomes visitors with activities and locations filled with craft galleries, organic grocery stores, and indie music venues. Visiting Carrboro will surely make your family vacation worth it. 

1. Book A Fishing Charter

Booking a fishing charter when fishing in unfamiliar water is always a good idea. Fishing can sometimes be overwhelming, especially if you are braving the fishing location for the first time. Hiring a charter will give you access to all the best fishing gear and tackle. A fishing guide allows you to explore new waters with confidence, and the crew will be able to teach you new techniques as you brave those new fishing territories. Anglers can choose to go on freshwater fishing trips offered and chartered by freshwater charters in the North Carolina areas like Aunt Bee Sportfishing, Old North State Fishing, Salty Anchors Charters, and Ipock's fishing charters.

2. Engage in Recreational Activities at the Community Park

Henry Anderson III Community Park is a 54-acre recreational area in Carrboro. Anderson Park is open to everyone and offers facilities for all ages. Some of the facilities available at the site include baseball fields, basketball, tennis, volleyball courts, and horseshoe pits- truly a delightful place for sports enthusiasts. There is also a playground for children and a fenced-in dog park where dogs can play off-leash. Swimming isn't allowed, but tourists can fish in a small pond or access the half-mile loop trail by taking any spur pathways from the parking areas. Anderson Park also hosts the Annual Kite Fly every spring.

3. Visit Carolina North Forest

Tourists who love the beauty of nature will surely enjoy a visit to the Carolina North Forest, a 750-acres of woodlands sitting on the University of North Carolina’s Carolina North campus, nestled between Chapel Hill and Carrboro. A visit to the forest is perfect for those eager to learn the historical and archaeological significance of the area. The forest area has contributed to the Carrboro area for years, giving tourists a peaceful natural oasis and allowing them to recreate, relax, and enjoy a break from the ever-changing urban terrain.