Boating and Fishing

Coming Soon - Bass Lake Boat rental reservations will be online, check back for more information as it becomes available

Boating

  • Boat rentals on the weekends through the Spring and Fall subject to adequate staffing and weather conditions
  • Boats are rented 7 days a week Memorial Day - Labor Day
  • No personal watercraft of any type is allowed on Bass Lake
  • Small children and dogs count toward seating limits


Boating Prices

  • Non-motorized boat $7/hour
    • Canoe (seats 3) 
    • Rowboat (seats 4)
  • Motorized boat $12/hour
    • Gheenoe boat (seats 3) 

Boating Information Video

Fishing

  • Free to the public
  • The lake is stocked with 1500 lbs. of catfish every other month mid-Spring - mid-Fall
  • Concession stand carries a variety of live and packaged bait
  • If you need a pole, sign up for the Tackle Loaner Program to borrow equipment for free
  • People ages 16 and older need a North Carolina Inland fishing license which can be purchased online at www.ncwildlife.org or at local stores such as Dick’s Sporting Goods

Fishing Limits

  • Bass – No more than 5 per person, per day, with a minimum size of 14 inches
  • Sunfish and crappie – No limits
  • Catfish – No more than 6 per person, per day, with a minimum size of 12 inches
Bass Lake Park Fishing Pier

Lake Water Quality Information

Bass Lake is classified as a lake for recreational boating and fishing and does not allow contact activities such as swimming.  Holly Springs works closely with the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Water Resources Division and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to monitor and test the water quality for recreational use periodically throughout the year.

On occasion, depending on lake conditions, algal blooms can occur on the lake. Holly Springs follows the notification guidance provided by the state. For more information on algal blooms and updates on any fish advisories throughout the state, please see:

Facts and information about algae in North Carolina waterways:

  • Algae are responsive to the physical and chemical conditions in the aquatic environment
  • Their rapid reproduction may cause blooms
  • Most blooms occur when favorable environmental conditions exist, such as an extended photoperiod (sunlight) during summer, sufficient nutrients, and slow moving or stagnant waters
  • Less than one percent of algal blooms actually produce toxins
  • Not all algal blooms are harmful, and some can actually be beneficial. Phytoplankton are found at the base of the marine food chain therefore, all other life in the ocean relies on phytoplankton
  • Blooms may be particularly beneficial to certain fish species found in Bass Lake