Casting a Line in Cary, Apex, and Holly Springs

You don't have to leave the Triangle to spend a good morning on the water. Between neighborhood lakes and the shoreline of Jordan Lake, Cary, Apex, and Holly Springs offer bank fishing, family-friendly docks, and boat access for more serious anglers.

Where to Fish

Jordan Lake

Jordan Lake is the big draw: a 14,000-acre reservoir with more than 180 miles of shoreline. The Ebenezer Church Access at 2582 Beaver Creek Road in Apex has fishing, a boat ramp, and picnic areas. For bank anglers, there is an ADA-accessible, lighted public fishing pier on Farrington Road in Apex. Beaver Creek, which flows through Apex toward the lake, is known for largemouth bass, bluegill, and chain pickerel.

Apex Community Park Lake

This 50-plus-acre lake has an accessible fishing dock and is stocked with channel catfish. A Town of Apex fishing permit is required. It is free for Apex residents, and non-residents must buy one. Fishing hours run from 6:30 a.m. to sunset. Anyone can also buy a one-day guest pass for $5. Seagroves Farm Park Pond and Salem Pond Park use the same permit.

Bond Lake in Cary

Bond Lake is a 42-acre lake at Fred G. Bond Metro Park. Shore fishing is free, including from the 200-foot boardwalk. The boathouse sells cane poles, red worms, and nightcrawlers.

Lake Crabtree

Lake Crabtree is different. Fishing there is catch-and-release only because of a state consumption advisory for PCBs in the fish. Fish only from designated areas.

What You'll Catch

Jordan Lake is mostly a bass fishery, but its main game species are largemouth bass, striped bass, hybrid bass, crappie, bream, catfish, and white perch. The smaller lakes and ponds are mainly bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish. Bond Lake's most popular catches are channel catfish, largemouth bass, and black crappie.

Jordan's striper season is long: stripers are active from April through December, with a peak in May. Largemouth fishing is strong in February through April.

The Rules

Anglers under 16 don't need a fishing license. Everyone 16 and older needs a North Carolina inland license, which runs about $25 a year for residents. Buy it at Go Outdoors North Carolina.

• Largemouth bass: 14-inch minimum (up to 2 may be shorter), 5 per day.
• Crappie at Jordan Lake: 8-inch minimum, 20 per day combined. Other local waters have no crappie limit.
• Striped and hybrid bass in lakes like Jordan: 20-inch minimum, 4 per day combined.
• White bass: no size limit, 10 per day.
• Bullheads: no size limit, 10 per day combined.
• Channel catfish at Bond Park Pond and Pine Lake in Apex Community Park: no size limit, 7 per day.
• Catfish in other waters: no size or daily limit.
• Sunfish, yellow perch, white perch, and chain pickerel: no size or daily limit.

A few general rules apply everywhere:

• Game fish may be taken only with hook and line, and snagging is illegal.
• You can't possess more than the daily limit while fishing, boating, or afield.
• It is unlawful to remove the head or tail from size-limited fish so they can't be measured.

Rules and permit fees change, and individual parks can add their own. Check the NC Wildlife Resources Commission and the town or park website before you go.

Holly Springs and Bass Lake

You can fish at Bass Lake. Bass Lake Park at 900 Bass Lake Road is open from 8 a.m. to sunset year-round and offers free bank fishing. The visitor center sells live and packaged bait, and its Tackle Loaner Program lends poles for free. The lake is stocked with 1,500 pounds of catfish every other month from mid-spring to mid-fall. Swimming is not allowed.

The town's fishing rules are:

• Anglers 16 and older need a North Carolina inland fishing license.
• Bass: 5 per person per day, 14-inch minimum.
• Catfish: 6 per person per day, 12-inch minimum.
• Sunfish and crappie: no limits.

Sources

• NC Inland Fishing Regulations, eRegulations
• NC Warm Water Game Fish Regulations, eRegulations
• NC Nongame Fish Size & Creel Limits, eRegulations
• License Types and Fees, NC Wildlife
• NC Fishing License Guide 2026
• Recreation Permits, Town of Apex
• Can I fish in Town parks? Town of Apex
• Apex Community Park, Town of Apex
• Bond Park Boathouse, Town of Cary
• Lake Crabtree Boating and Boat Rental, Wake County
• Jordan Lake, Ebenezer Church Access, NC State Parks
• Jordan Lake fishing, Norrik
• Jordan Lake fishing, Fishbox
• Bank Fishing Spots at Jordan, Community Sports News
• Apex fishing overview, Guidesly
• Bond Lake, Fishbrain
• Bond Lake, Fishidy
• Bass Lake Park, Town of Holly Springs
• Boating and Fishing, Town of Holly Springs