Lake James fishing, boating rebound nicely from Helene
Tony Davis holds up a solid Lake James largemouth in this photo from several years ago. Davis said fishing on the lake was terrific last fall.
Tony Davis loves bass fishing so much he couldn’t wait to get back on Lake James after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on the reservoir last fall.
Still, Davis, who fishes the lake year-round, allowed a grace period: 10 whole days.
The Nebo resident resumed his pursuit of largemouth and smallmouth bass just a fortnight after the devastating storm.
Perhaps surprisingly, the fishing had improved.
Despite Helene’s ferocity, Davis said bass fishing on the lake last fall was “absolutely outstanding.” Davis said more tournament anglers brought in their 5-fish limits than before the hurricane, and overall weights were up.
He routinely caught 30-35 bass per day throughout November on a lake generally considered to be one of the toughest in the region.
Even though the water was discolored by the heavy load of sediment and run-off that poured into the lake, Davis said he never saw a kink in the food chain: He said he regularly sees plenty of schooling baitfish like shad.
That would seem to indicate the lake’s fauna didn’t sustain much of a hit from the increased levels of pathogens and contaminants that flowed into the lake with the flooding.
Scientists at Wednesday’s Lake James Watershed Symposium said those substances have since dropped well below the levels where they would be considered harmful.
Environmental groups like Lake James Environmental Association and Catawba Riverkeeper say the lake is now safe for swimmers and, with any luck, should remain so throughout the summer.
Davis admits he’s not a biologist, but from his standpoint, the fish weathered the storm supremely well and the popular fishery never missed a beat.
So far, Henry Kidd’s business hasn’t missed a beat, either.
The co-owner of Lake James Boat Rentals said he has already started booking clients for the upcoming warm-weather season.
Kidd, whose company offers pontoons, ski boats, and jet skis for rent, is optimistic.
Although the water is still dingy, it’s clearing up daily thanks to the fact Duke Energy has completed repairs on the turbines in the Bridgewater Hydro station and can now release water downstream to improve the flow.
By the time the recreational rush begins in earnest, Kidd expects the lake to look like it normally does and return to what he called its “beautiful color.”
“I don’t think it’s going to impact us that much. I think that the lake is going to recover very well,” Kidd said. “I think there’s going to be a little bit of debris on the very top of the lake, because that’s the widest mouth of the water that comes in at the Catawba. And then other than that, I think it’s gonna be perfectly fine.”
Kidd said the size of the lake — 6,812 acres — coupled with the volume of water entering from the Catawba and Linville rivers and Paddy’s Creek — should soon take care of the remaining turbidity.
“The lake’s so big and so much fresh water comes in,” Kidd said. “And at the beginning of the last month, once that first wheel came on, the top side of Linville was already getting its natural color back.”
That doesn’t mean the lake is back to its normal, relatively benign self just yet. There is still more debris in the lake than usual, so fishermen and boaters need to be aware of the hazards it can pose.
Davis said most of the debris has been pushed toward the banks by wind and wave action and the lake’s main channels are largely safe for boaters.
But there are some spots that require caution. The Linville Access Area is one such place.
The relatively shallow bay where the Linville River enters the lake collected some sizable trees that washed down the river.
“There are certainly some real hazards out in front of Linville access and Linville campground,” Davis said. “I’m talking about 40-foot oak trees that are buried, that have been washed down through the river, and they’re out a couple hundred yards from the bank and are in about 20 feet of water.”
Such obstacles are historically rare on the Linville side of the lake. The water on the Catawba River arm in McDowell County is typically not as clear.
That’s still the case in the wake of the hurricane.
Todd Bennick, who lives on the Burke County side, is a pilot and said the difference in water clarity is often stark from the air.
“If you fly over the lake in a plane, the McDowell County side is still murky,” Bennick said. “It’s normally not as clear, because you’ve got the Catawba running in versus the Linville River coming out of the gorge. There’s no construction up there, so it’s cleaner water.”
Lake regulars say the water is only going to get cleaner as the destructive effects of Helene continue to fade.
“I think it’s going to be fine,” Kidd said of the summer. “I think the season’s going to turn out good.”
Marty Queen is the senior reporter. He may be reached at 828-445-8595 or marty@thepaper.media.
