Garner, NC Fishing: Idyllic Entry Point to the Triangle Region’s Best Fishing

Discover the thrills of fishing in the Research Triangle Region of North Carolina when you visit Garner, NC.

Garner, NC Fishing: Idyllic Entry Point to the Triangle Region’s Best Fishing
Garner, NC Fishing: Idyllic Entry Point to the Triangle Region’s Best Fishing
Team Guidesly

October 31, 2022, 6 min read

Updated on October 28, 2022

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Garner is a small, quiet bedroom community situated 10 minutes south of downtown Raleigh in North Carolina’s Research Triangle region. Like the rest of the area, Garner exudes a warm and welcoming vibe with its historic downtown, excellent schools, and cozy atmosphere. Garner was given an All-America City accolade in 2013 because of its consistent push for improving its residents’ quality of life.

Apart from its top-notch residential amenities, Garner is gifted with the year-round temperate climate characteristic of the rest of North Carolina. It’s conveniently located in the Research Triangle, offering instant access to both the culture and modern opportunities of the cities and the pockets of nature that dot the region. Within minutes of the suburb, residents and visitors can enjoy world-class cultural art experiences in museums and festivals, bustling local businesses, fun recreational activities, and a beautiful award-winning park. For this reason, Garner offers travelers a unique entry point to the greater Raleigh area, a refreshing alternative to see the whole region in a new light.

Anglers and outdoor lovers, in particular, will enjoy this beautiful suburb’s relaxing atmosphere and location, using Garner as their home base places them comfortably close to a range of productive freshwater fishing opportunities in the Research Triangle and beyond.

Garner Fishing

fishing boat, waves, ocean

Garner, as in the rest of this part of North Carolina, offers year-round fishing for freshwater favorites in the region. It’s as good a place as any to start your Raleigh-Durham fishing tours.

Lake Benson Park is Garner’s favorite local lake, a 64-acre park with plenty of trails, big, wide open spaces, and its namesake lake. For anglers on North Carolina crappie fishing trips, the 650-acre lake is a fair place to start with, as it has both black and white crappie. It likewise holds plenty of largemouth bass, channel catfish, and bluegill. Private watercraft are restricted from the lake, but you can rent boats with electric motors at the park boat house. 

Lake Wheeler, Raleigh’s primary water supply lake, built in 1956, is known to produce some big fish. According to local experts, its lack of bottom structure makes it quite a puzzle to fish in at first, but it gets easier as soon as you get to know the lake.

The 650-acre reservoir allows fishing in the lake on the designated piers and the shores of Simpkins Pond. Shore fishing on the lake itself is not permitted. Instead, anglers are advised to fish from a boat. Pier fishing requires a separate Lake Wheeler fishing permit but fishing from a boat does not. All motorized boats are permitted except for jet skis or personal watercraft.

To increase your chances of landing that big post-spawn bass, target the flats and channels, particularly those near the spawning spots. Use crankbaits with lures that mimic gizzard shad, the known food for the big fish in the lake. If you’re fishing early in the day, try topwater in the coves and the woody area in the south part of the lake. You might even land some big crappie and channel catfish along with bass.

The rest of the Research Triangle region has big lakes and small less-trodden waterbodies that offer ample fishing opportunities. UNC-Chapel Hill has University Lake, also known as U-Lake, and a hidden secret among bass anglers in the area. Gas motors are not allowed in this bass lake, but you can rent and use a Jon boat in the water to fish. The blowdowns on the east bank of the lake make it a prime spot to target fish right after the spawning season. It takes patience to land the big fish here. The key is to fish it slowly using topwater, usually in the early mornings. A chartreuse spinnerbait or a medium-diving crankbait can be quite effective as well. Like Lake Wheeler, U-Lake is known to produce some big fish.

Lake Michie, situated north of Durham, is another small lake with big largemouth bass. It is fed by the Flat River and has lots of woody and rocky areas, so you know where to target your catch. The coves with feeder creeks close to the deep water are particularly productive. It gets crowded at times, but for the most part, it remains a hidden spot with fewer crowds.

If you’re keen on a bigger lake fishing experience, hop on a striped bass charter and the like in the city of Raleigh, just minutes away from Garner. From here, you can access even bigger waterbodies that offer productive fishing. East of Garner, you will find the ever-popular Jordan Lake. This 14,000-acre reservoir is home to striped bass, largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, and bluegill. Because of its size, booking a striped bass fishing charter or any charter is the best way to cover the best of what it has to offer. You can also enjoy fishing it from a kayak or canoe.

North of Garner, anglers can access the legendary Falls Lake. Its creek channels, humps, and ledges attract a healthy population of channel catfish, white bass, striped bass, white perch, yellow perch, flathead catfish, and more. The lake is also regularly stocked and well-maintained. Charters servicing Jordan Lake will usually have Falls Lake included in their territory.

 

Top 10 Fish Species in Garner, NC

The top 10 fish species found in Garner, NC, include largemouth bass, striped bass, white bass, channel catfish, black crappie, white crappie, white perch, bluegill, yellow perch, and flathead catfish.

Seasonal Fishing

Fishing is available in Garner and the rest of the Research Triangle region all year round, with the best months depending on the fish you’re after. Big bass fishing in the smaller lakes like Lake Wheeler and Lake Michie is particularly productive around June, when you can target post-spawn fish. Bluegill can be caught from spring till fall, but like bass, they’re active around the warm post-spring months. Channel catfish are active in spring and come back around when the waters turn milder in September and October.

Enjoy the Hometown Pride of Garner

Travelers in Garner can enjoy a friendly home-away-from-home atmosphere while savoring the convenience of being centrally located, with access to a range of wonderful attractions in the triangle region.

1. Book a Fishing Charter

Explore the area safely, comfortably, and productively by booking a local expert’s services. North Carolina has the best of the best fishing charters in this part of the country that will allow you to experience just what makes the state one of the best places to fish, freshwater and saltwater alike. Old North State Fishing in Stumpy Point will show you the best spots to fish the OBX. Aunt Bee Sportfishing and Salty Anchors Charters are your best offshore fishing companions. For river fishing on the Neuse, Ipock’s Fishing Charters is your guide.

2. Enjoy World-Class Performances

Garner is home to the Best Community Theater in the Triangle, the Towne Players of Garner. You can watch them perform at the Garner Performing Arts Center, a fantastic venue in the heart of the downtown historic district. The performing arts center is also home to the annual Showcase of Talent in February. It’s a great place to catch some entertainment. And who knows? You might even catch a potential star-in-the-making performing in your midst.

3. Spend the Winter Holidays in Garner’s Downtown

Garner is big on Christmas. Its festivities start in early December when its downtown lights up in anticipation of the Light Up Festival and the Garner Christmas Parade. It’s fun to immerse in the town while rubbing elbows with the locals.

Fish in Garner and beyond.