Winston-Salem, NC Fishing: A Town Built on Tobacco

Nestling in Forsyth County, North Carolina, is the populous city of Winston-Salem. With more than 249,000 residents, it ranks second in the largest municipalities in the Piedmont Region. But why do many people flock and choose to reside in Winston-Salem? 

Winston-Salem ranked 5th on the list of The Best Cities to Live in North Carolina. It has a low cost of living, picturesque scenes of nature, and eclectic art that people love and enjoy. In addition, it is also dubbed to be one of North Carolina’s Safest Cities. This makes it one of the top places people choose to retire. 

Winston-Salem was a product of merging two towns in 1913- Winston and Salem; it is home to the famous cigarette brand created by R.J Reynold Tobacco Company. This company played an important role in the history of Winston-Salem. Through importing French cigarette paper and Turkish Tobacco in bulk, the city became an official port of entry. 

Today, Winston-Salem is referred to as the Camel City because of the sepia tones and brick buildings and streets. It is celebrated for its small-town feel with a diverse and friendly neighborhood. On top of these, Winston-Salem is a hotspot for anglers looking for a gateway. The social community in the area, paired with multiple angling opportunities, is surely an angler’s dream destination.

Winston-Salem Fishing

Winston-Salem nestles in the northwest Piedmont area of North Carolina. It lies within the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin, which drains through Salem Creek, Peters Creek, Silas Creek, and Muddy Creek. To its west are pristine mountains that anglers thirst for in pursuit of idyllic trout fishing. Meanwhile, the eastern part of Winston-Salem features beaches with vast coastal areas where anglers have the opportunity to try surfcasting. Anglers who come to Winston-Salem will have several angling opportunities. Whether they choose to go east or west, there will always be an angling action.

Starting with Mitchell River- a tributary of the Yadkin River. Mitchell River is one of the best places to go angling for two reasons. First, you will get to witness the pristine and scenic mountainscapes in North Carolina. Second, you will have access to nearly perfect stream conditions to land on some trout. The river is known for its deep pockets with fast and slow currents. This makes it an ideal location for some fly fishing action. But what makes the river unique is its Delayed Harvest Trout Fishing Program. It is a program initiated by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to create better fishing conditions. Through this program, the river is stocked with some rainbow trout, brook trout, and lake trout during Spring and Fall. This means that anglers will only bring home their catch from June to September. Although there are multiple access points to Mitchell River, the closest and the most accessible is Winston-Salem. 

The second angling location in the area is the Triad Watershed Lakes, a string of three reservoirs: Lake Higgins, Lake Brandt, and Lake Townsend. It is located east of downtown Winston-Salem. 

Lake Higgins, the smallest among the three, offers some of the best angling in the area. The 226-acre municipal reservoir is easily accessible via kayaks, canoes, small boats, and even from the pier. Here, anglers can land on some bass, blue catfish, flathead catfish, sunfish, chain pickerel, crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. The best times to go angling in the area are from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM- 9:00 AM, when it is busiest. 

Lake Brandt is an 816-acre municipal reservoir known for largemouth bass, white crappie, and channel catfish angling. If you are lucky, you might be able to land on some panfish, perch, and carp. However, angling in the area might not be as productive as Lake Higgins. Local anglers shared that angling in Lake Brandt can be a hit or miss. Channel catfish may stack up suspended during hot days, but you have to get the right depth to land on one. However, catfish tend to stay on the bottom of the lake, near some structures on cooler days. So it is recommended for anglers to take different baits with them to increase their chances of landing on a catch.

Lake Townsend is the largest of the three reservoirs; it is a 1,542-acre lake built for recreational purposes in 1969. The lake is home to species like largemouth bass, hybrid bass, striped bass, channel catfish, sunfish, wipers, white crappie, bluegill, and black crappie.

The Outer Banks, located in the eastern part of Winston-Salem, is the third angling location. It's a 200-mile stretch of barrier islands and sandbars off the North Carolina and Virginia coasts. Anglers can access the vast Atlantic Ocean via the Outer Banks. As a result, angling activity in the area is high and frequently productive. There are also different angling opportunities to choose from. Anglers can experience outer banks sound fishing, surf fishing, pier fishing, and even offshore fishing. Some of the common catches in the area include bluefish, drum, spotfin, flounder, croaker, pompano, striped bass, sea mullet, Spanish mackerel, striped bass, speckled trout, sheepshead, and cobia.

Top 10 Fish Species in Winston-Salem, NC

The top 10 fish species in Winston-Salem, NC are blue catfish, flathead catfish, chain pickerel, crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout, brook trout, lake trout, sheepshead, and cobia.

Seasonal Fishing

Species like yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, and King mackerel thrive in the vast water of North Carolina. Anglers looking to land on these species may get a productive catch anytime during the year. However, booking your trip for certain months will allow you to target different species. Visiting Winston-Salem during Spring and Fall is best for trout fishing. Its lakes are stocked with brook, rainbow, and brown trout during these times. OuterBank angling in North Carolina is why anglers visit the town. Here, they can land on some bluefish, drum, spotfin, flounder, croaker, pompano, striped bass, sea mullet, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, sheepshead, and cobia any time.

Where to Go in The Camel City?

1. Book a Fishing Charter

If you visit Winston-Salem for the first time, getting a guide will increase your odds of landing on a catch. Booking a fishing charter will guide you where the fish are, what gears to use, and how to catch them. 

2. Shop on Trade Street

Planning a trip down Trade Street might be the best idea if you are in Winston-Salem and in the mood for shopping. The area is packed with specialty stores, antique shops, great boutiques, and galleries. Shopping on Trade Street will give you a glimpse of the eclectic art the city is known for. From jewelry to paintings, down to how the stores are decorated, you will be able to witness the beauty and uniqueness of Winston-Salem. 

3. Visit Old Salem Museums and Gardens

Go on a trip down memory lane and spend the afternoon in Old Salem Museums and Gardens. Here, you will glimpse how life was during the late 1700s to early 1800s. Here, every building you step on has a story waiting to be heard.