When they raise and lower the lake level at Gaston, how fast can they do that? I put in at Pop Creek Thursday and could have sworn the water was about 12" higher when I took out 7 hours later. I then over heard another fisherman saying they lowered the level the night before, and then raised it again the day we fished? I just could not imagin a Lake of that size going up and down that fast without the help of mother nature? Just wondering. fished for LMB, no bites from 7am until 10am, then caught about a dozen 12" LMB over the next couple hours.

thanks!

if you think about how high Buggs is ands that Gaston is where that water goes it isnt very hard to imagine hgow fast they can raise or lower it

Gaston's just a wide place in the river, an ya have to fish it that way to be successful there. the water is nearly always movin, either raisin from input of buggs or droppin from makin power at the gaston dam. some times fish will change positions several times in a day. but they usually lookin for something to eat on the way. i've done the best when the water is runnin downstream, in a more natural mode. course that mite be cause i grew up fishin streams an rivers an can relate that to lake habitat better...find the eddies. they mite be only inches wide in the creek, an big as a football field in a lake like gaston.

It is my understanding that it is a stable lake by law(?) and should not vary more than 18 inches.Notice the docks on it a lot of them are solid, not floating.

You can get 10 miles down stream of Kerr dam & put a marker bouy out on a piece of structure & the bouy will continue to roll over & over. That to me is a strong current & I can see it moving up & down one foot a day. As Doc said it is only a wide river when they are pulling/releasing water.

thanks for the info

The guys at kerr dam say on average when gates are open and generating that they put 55 gallons per minute down river. I fish both lakes with a small 16.5 foot semi v hull sea neamph boat that holds the water well and use two cannon easy troll downriggers as well as mounted rod holders. In the am I fish the flats by the railroad trussel using pencil poppers or a large zara spook for stripers and bass then later in the day and late pm troll the main channel 18 to 20+ feet for stipers. Best luck from just past railroad trussel up to kerr dam area.

I was on Gaston Saturday @ around 11 am fishing main lake and I am here to tell you that water was MOVIN! like I had never seen before except Leesville.