Shearon Harris Reservoir
North Carolina · Chatham
- 3,770 acres mapped (USGS NHD)
- 127 km shoreline
- County: Chatham
- Shoreline outline: USGS NHD
- North Carolina inland fishing regulations (NCWRC)
The pin marks the middle of the water, for directions. The shoreline on the map comes from USGS NHD.
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Overview
Harris Lake is a 4,151 acre reservoir in the upper Cape Fear River basin, about 20 miles southwest of Raleigh. Its main job is supplying cooling water to a Duke Energy nuclear plant, but being so close to the Triangle makes it a busy fishing lake as well. Creel surveys show largemouth bass are the top target, followed by crappie, and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission sampling has found catch rates for both that are above average for a Piedmont reservoir. The lake offers a lot of variety in cover, with rock outcrops, flats, old roadbeds and aquatic vegetation, including hydrilla, which was first reported here in 1988. Much of the shoreline is undeveloped, which adds plenty of habitat. Since 2018 the Commission and its partners, including the county park on the lake, have been working on projects to improve fish habitat. Anglers can launch at two boat ramps owned by the Commission.
Regulations
Harris Lake has a special largemouth bass slot limit and a crappie minimum length limit. Hydrilla is a noxious weed, so clean plants off boats and trailers. See the current North Carolina inland fishing regulations: https://www.ncwildlife.gov/fishing/regulations
Nearby waters
- B. Everett Jordan Lake · 15.8 km (NC)
More in Chatham
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission