Chapel Hill, NC Fishing: Experience Exceptional Small-town Angling

Founded in 1793, Chapel Hill is the 16th-largest city in North Carolina. The Church of England's New Hope Chapel inspired the name Chapel Hill. The chapel once stood at the crossroads on the hill at the settlement's center. Chapel Hill became known as the "Southern Part of Heaven" because author William Meade Prince wrote a book reminiscing his life growing up in Chapel Hill. 

The University of North Carolina is intrinsically tied to Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill was founded and built solely to serve the university. The Chapel Hill University of North Carolina is dubbed a significant research university. Aside from the famous university, Chapel Hill is renowned for its picturesque surroundings and fantastic culture. Tourists can tour Chapel Hill and visit some historical sites and unique locations. Chapel Hill also hosts several festivals, the most notable of which is the Chapel Hill-based Film Fest 919 every October. Film Fest 919 showcases the best feature films from the entire year. The festival allows audiences to engage with the filmmakers and artists and learn about the process of filmmaking. The Festifall Arts Festival is one of the most awaited festivals in Chapel Hill. It features different local artists, artisans, and crafters offering their crafts. The festival also has a dedicated zone for kids to explore and grab opportunities to create art alongside artists.  

Aside from excellent museums and must-visit locations, Chapel Hill also offers excellent fishing opportunities.

Chapel Hill Fishing

Fishing in Chapel Hill is open year-round, but the most competitive seasons are fall and spring. Numerous bodies of water in Chapel Hill are available to anglers. 

Anglers who want to fish in Chapel Hill usually go to Eastwood Lake. It's a Chapel Hill hidden gem, but it's a private lake open to members only all year. Anglers commonly catch largemouth bass, crappie, smallmouth bass, and redbreast sunfish. Another location worth fishing is the Cedar Fork. It is connected to Eastwood Lake and is home to trophy largemouth bass and murray cod. From the town center to Carrboro, anglers can spot the Bolin Creek. The waters of Bolin Creek hold fish like largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, bowfin, pumpkinseed, common carp, rock bass, and black bullhead. The University Lake, located on the University Lake Road, is a 213-acre public lake open for public recreation activities, including boating using canoes and flat-bottom boats, picnicking, sunbathing, and of course, fishing. The University Lake hosts fish species, including largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill, yellow bullhead, blue catfish, and smallmouth bass. Found between the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill, Jolly Branch brags trophy channel catfish and largemouth bass. It is also home to green sunfish, bluegill, and creek chub.

Furthermore, Fan Branch near Chapel Hill contains largemouth bass, creek chub, bluegill, pumpkinseed, blue catfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish, and common shiner. Fan Branch is a famous fly fishing spot in Chapel Hill. Morgan Creek's water houses fish like largemouth bass, blue catfish, channel catfish, yellow bullhead, black bullhead, bluehead chub, southern black bream, and pumpkinseed. It is a perfect location for fly fishing and bank fishing. Wilson Creek and Obie Creek in Chapel Hill are locations known for largemouth bass and channel catfish fishing. Meeting of the Water is another sought-after body of water in Chapel Hill. Its waters are home to largemouth bass, bluegill, blue catfish, spotted bass, black bullhead, longnose gar, flathead catfish, and redbreast sunfish.

The UNC-Chapel Hill Bass Fishing Club is an intercollegiate team that competes in various bass fishing tournaments. The club gives its members resources to fish in lakes in the local area like the University Lake and Jordan Lake in New Hope Valley. 

Top 10 Fish Species in Chapel Hill, NC

The top 10 fish species found in Chapel Hill, NC, are smallmouth bass, redbreast sunfish, largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, bluegill, yellow bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, and murray cod.

Seasonal Fishing

Smallmouth bass in North Carolina is prolific year-round, except during extreme weather. They spawn from early or mid-April until June or even July. Redbreasts are caught year-round but are not found in as many places as bluegill. They typically spawn from May through July. Largemouth bass are one of the top fish commonly caught by anglers, mainly because they are available throughout the year. They breed during late springs in northern parts of the country. The spawning season for crappie in North Carolina lasts from March through May. They are fun to capture, great to consume, and at the same time, they are available to anglers year-round. Channel catfish are targeted during April, May, September, and October. They commence their breeding season in the early days of the summer. Bluegills spawn once a month from April through October; their breeding season peaks between May and June. Spring and early summer are the most suitable seasons to target them. Yellow bullhead are available anytime but are caught best after sunset and just before sunrise. Their spawning activities occur from May through June. April to June is the common carp spawning season in North Carolina. The spring months are dubbed as an excellent time for carp fishing. Green sunfish are excellently targeted during the late spring when their spawning season begins and can be found in shallow water. Murray cod like warmer water and are active during the summer months, making it the best season to target them. Murray cod's spawning activities occur in the spring and summer months.

Wonders of Chapel Hill

1. Book a Fishing Charter

Fishing in the waters of Chapel Hill can be an overwhelming experience, especially if it is your first time exploring the area. Booking a fishing charter on your first trip to Chapel Hill will help you enjoy your fishing adventure with the help of anglers with more knowledge about the area.

2. Outdoor Recreation Activities

Chapel Hill offers fantastic hiking and biking trails for adventurous tourists looking for heart-pumping activities. The Libba Cotten Bikeway is a great location to start your trip, especially for cyclists new to the biking scene. The Bolin Creek Trail is another bikeway showcasing Chapel Hill's picturesque surroundings. The Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, just minutes away from the center of Chapel Hill, has three miles of walking and hiking paths.

3. Embark on a Museum Journey

Chapel Hill's Ackland Art Museum is the academic unit of the University of North Carolina. The art museum was founded through the legacy of William Hayes Ackland to the UNC, with his collections as part of the museum's exhibits. The museum also offers programs and resources to help visitors engage with the museum's exhibits and displays. The Kidzu Children's Museum is a private and non-profit children's museum dedicated to infants until tweens. The museum offers programs and activities children will surely enjoy. The museum focuses on education, arts, child health, and emerging literacy and engages children through purposeful play.