High Point, NC Fishing: Family-Friendly Fishing Spots in the Piedmont Triad Region

High Point is a Piedmont Triad city, the only city in North Carolina situated in four counties, namely Guilford, Randolph, Davidson, and Forsyth. It is in the central region of North Carolina and is surrounded by the cities of Winston-Salem and Greensboro. Its unique name dates back to the mid-1800s when it was the highest point along the railroad constructed in the state. It officially became a city in 1859.

Since its incorporation, High Point has always been a textile and furniture center. The first furniture factory in the city opened in 1888, and from then on, it solidified its position as a woodworking capital. High Point hosted the first furniture exposition in the state in 1905. In the 1920s, the city succeeded in replacing Chicago as the home of the country’s top furniture show with the construction of the Southern Furniture Exposition Building. To this day, High Point holds the title of “Home Furnishings Capital of the World” and hosts the biannual High Point Market, the world’s biggest furnishings trade show.

Aside from being a must-see destination for interior designers and home furnishing enthusiasts, High Point is an excellent year-round vacation destination for anyone seeking a little bit of everything: a quaint small city atmosphere with a walkable downtown area, great restaurants and nightlife, and a vibrant art scene. Apart from these city attractions, High Point has numerous parks and outdoor recreational places where visitors can hike, explore, and fish.

High Point Fishing

High Point offers many productive fishable lakes within its city limits and easy access to many other fishing spots in the Piedmont Triad area. These fishing spots have excellent facilities and are ideal for family fishing trips.

High Point City Lake Park is a favorite outdoor recreational spot in the city. It offers High Point City Lake access to a 350-acre lake open for fishing and boating. Expect to catch largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, Bodie bass (a hybrid striped bass of white bass), crappie, sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, chain pickerel, yellow perch, northern pike, walleye, and common carp. Fishing can be done from the bank or a boat. If your private boat's motor is less than 9.9 horsepower, you can use it at the marina ramp.  You can also rent fishing boats, canoes, and kayaks from the park. While you fish, the rest of your family can enjoy the park’s other amenities, including a playground with a carousel, a large pool complex, and miniature golf.

Head to Oak Hollow Marina for a more extensive fishing experience that’s also family-friendly. The marina features the Oak Hollow Fishing Trail, a unique fishing project that consists of 11 fishing sites accessible only by boat. The trail is great if you’re a novice angler looking to improve your largemouth bass fishing skills. It has been designed to teach anglers about the behaviors and patterns of largemouth bass in different seasons. Its 11 fishing sites are scattered throughout, surrounding all 800 acres of the reservoir. Half of the sites are ideal summer and winter fishing spots as they provide access to the deep parts of the reservoir. The rest offer shallow-water habitats that make them fantastic spring fishing areas for species in their pre-and post-spawning seasons. For more information on the GPS coordinates of the fish attractors and more, get the informational brochure at the marina office. This is a pilot project, so anglers are highly encouraged to fill out the after-activity survey that should help the commission improve and re-create the trail in other areas.

Other parts of the lake are open for bank fishing. Some of the most common fish species in the lake include largemouth bass, striped bass, Bodie bass, crappie, blue catfish, channel catfish, white perch, sunfish, and bluegill. Anglers can expect to see crappie in the deeper parts of the lake all year round. Night fishing is also allowed within the marina from April to September. Oak Hollow Marina provides other conveniences to visitors, including a store that sells a variety of fishing tackle, weights, and baits. The place also hosts different fishing events, including an annual bass tournament during March, a yearly crappie tournament in April, and a youth fishing derby in June.

Randleman Lake is a relatively new reservoir in Randolph and Guilford Counties that extends east of High Point. It is primarily a drinking water source for Greensboro but opens for fishing and sailing in certain areas. It offers a great fishery for largemouth bass, white crappie, channel catfish, and bluegill. It is a particular favorite for local anglers looking to fish largemouth bass even at the height of summer.

Other fishing hotspots you can easily access from High Point include spots in nearby Greensboro. Here you can fish different municipal reservoirs such as Lake Brandt, Lake Higgins, and Lake Townsend. The most commonly caught fish in these water bodies include largemouth bass, brown bullhead, yellow bullhead, crappie, channel catfish, bluegill, chain pickerel, yellow perch, gizzard shad, warmouth, pumpkinseed, redbreast sunfish, and threadfin. Lake Townsend, the largest municipal reservoir, also has Bodie bass.

Pier fishing and boat fishing are allowed in Salem Lake in Forsyth County. Here you can fish just a few steps from downtown Winston-Salem and catch largemouth bass, Bodie bass, channel catfish, bluegill, carp, and white perch.

Top 10 Fish Species in High Point, NC

The top 10 fish species to target in High Point are largemouth bass, Bodie bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, chain pickerel, yellow perch, white perch, and common carp.

Seasonal Fishing

Fish are biting in High Point and the Piedmont Triad area all year round, so the best time to fish in the region depends on what fish you’re aiming for. Wintertime is the ideal season to fish for Bodie bass and striped bass. The crappie bite all year round but are best caught early spring until April and again in October. If you’re fishing during the summer, it’s best to fish in the early morning before it gets too hot. But if the sun is high, head towards the deeper parts of the water where you’ll find more fish. Experts advise fishing underwater brush piles and submerged structures during summer.

Enjoy a Creatively Inspiring Vacation in High Point, NC

High Point is a unique city that will surely inspire travelers from all walks of life, especially those that enjoy immersing themselves in creativity.

1. Book a Fishing Charter

Allow a local expert to guide you through the waters of High Point and the rest of the Piedmont Triad area to enjoy a safe and productive fishing experience.

2. Know All About Home Furnishings

If you’re a furniture enthusiast or an interior designer, you will love the yearly High Point Market, the world’s biggest home furnishings show. If you want to learn more about the intersection of furniture and art, head to the Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library, a world-renowned research facility and the world’s largest library specializing in furniture.

3. Pay Tribute to Coltrane

Before becoming a world-famous jazz saxophonist and composer, John Coltrane grew up in High Point. The city celebrates this jazz legend every year during Labor Day weekend with a 2-day jazz and blues festival, which gathers some of the best and brightest in the genres.