Angler's Headquarters
Learn more about Lake Wylie below
March 20
Lake Wylie is at 97.4% of full pool and water clarity varies. The water is clear above the South Fork on the main channel while some creeks are stained. Morning surface water temperatures are around 60, but they can be higher in shallow, stained water.
March 13
Lake Wylie is at 97.1% of full pool and up the river is dingy, while at least the lower half of the lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 54 degrees.
March 5
Lake Wylie is at 97.2% of full pool and the lower third of the lake remains dingy, while the rest is clear as of today – but with an inch of rain this morning that will change. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 50-52 degrees in the morning.
February 27
Lake Wylie is at 96.8% of full pool and most of the lake remains stained to muddy, although above the South Fork – Catawba confluence the water is clearing as the dirty water works its way down the lake. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 49-53 degrees.
February 19
Lake Wylie is at 98.2% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures on the main channel range from 45-46 degrees while in the creeks they range from about 48-50. About 75% of the lake is red muddy and the rest is at least stained.
February 12
Lake Wylie is at 97.2% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures on the main channel range from about 51-52 degrees.
Read more fishing reports from Lake Wylie and other popular places at the AHQ Report!
Straddling the North Carolina/ South Carolina border near Charlotte, NC and Rock Hill, SC, Lake Wylie is located on the Catawba River chain generally south of Lake Norman and generally north of Lake Wateree. (Immediately above and below Lake Wylie are, respectively, the less well-known Mountain Island Lake and Fishing Creek Lake.). The oldest of the lakes on the Catawba River, Wylie was first created in 1904 by a dam near Fort Mill. In 1924 the dam was rebuilt, and today the lake’s surface area is approximately 13,500 acres with around 325 miles of shoreline. Lake Wylie is managed by Duke Energy and supports both hydroelectric and nuclear power generation. Since North Carolina and South Carolina do not have reciprocity, fishing licenses for each state are required to fish their respective waters.
The popular species targeted by Lake Wylie anglers include largemouth bass, crappie, a large population of white perch (including the co-state record holding fish caught by our correspondent Captain Rodger Taylor), bluegill, and catfish. Striped bass are not stocked in the lake and are extremely rare, but there are a few. Probably because of the absence of striper fishermen, there is not a population of blueback herring in Lake Wylie, and the main forage base consists of threadfin and gizzard shad.
