Lake
Gaston
Information
Lake
Gaston has 350 miles of shoreline touching five counties in the two states of North Carolina and Virginia. The main
body of the lake is approximately 1.3 miles across at its widest point and approximately 35 miles long, with an approximate
average depth of 40 feet. Lake Gaston
has more than 20,000 surface acres that include the "main" lake (runs west to east) and its 20 "creeks that
run north & south off the main lake. These creeks (or coves), which are all quite large, feed directly into the main body
and are directly accessible by boat. Some require boating under a bridge to get to/from the main body, and the bridge culverts
accommodate most boats (ski, pontoon, fishing). A few require lowering the pontoon's bimini
top.
Locations
around the lake are often referred to as being in a particular Quadrant (NW, SW, NE, SE). The Eaton Ferry Bridge
(over a mile long) is centrally located on the main lake, and it runs north/south over the main lake about mid way. Interstate
85 also runs north/south over the main lake, but at the far west end. That end of the lake tends to be shallower overall,
and is well suited for the fishermen, nature lover and those who like a quieter environment.
From the centrally located
Eaton Ferry Bridge, it will take approximately 30 minutes to reach I-85 or I-95 by car at any of
the four quads. Located on the VA/NC border between I-85 on the West, and I-95 on the East, Lake
Gaston is approximately 1.5 hours south of Richmond,
VA and north of Raleigh, NC.
Lake Gaston Area:
Lake
Gaston
is a not a city or township, but rather a very large "community" of the privately owned property surrounding it.
Because of the recreational and relaxed pace of our community, our population of residents on the Lake
is drawn primarily from a very large and diverse mix of vacation homeowners and retirees. Approximately half are full time
residents. There are no public/state parks on Lake Gaston, but each of the five surrounding counties provide boating access to the public,
and many fishing tournaments are held throughout the year.
Location:
The main body of Lake Gaston is located on the border of Virginia
and North Carolina, between I-85 on the west and I-95 on
the east. This location also places Lake Gaston
on the border of the coastal and piedmont regions of the states.
Because of its size, locations around the lake are often referred to as being in one of the four quadrants (NW, SW,
NE, SE) using the Eaton Ferry Main Lake Bridge as the most central dividing line and providing access to and from the north
and south shores.
The Lake:
The
impoundment of Lake Gaston
in 1963 was created for the purpose of hydroelectric power generation, and it is owned by Dominion Resources. Lake Gaston has more than 20,000 surface acres,
is 34 miles long and 1.3 miles across at its widest point. Its average water depth is 40 feet.
As one of many lakes along the Roanoke River Basin, water feeds into Lake
Gaston from the Kerr Lake
Dam upstream and flows over the Gaston Dam into the Roanoke Rapids Lake
downstream. Under normal conditions the maximum water elevations are 200 feet above mean sea level on Gaston, and 132 feet
in the Roanoke Rapids lake. A real plus for Lake
Gaston is its relatively constant water level, which generally fluctuates only one-half a foot higher or lower than its average 199.5 feet above mean sea level.
Like all bodies of water its size,
Dominion operates the lake within the regulations and license of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and the
U.S. Corps of Engineers. It is monitored by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Wildlife Commissions of both North
Carolina and Virginia.
Boating:
The “main” body of the lake runs east/west and is approx
35 miles long between the dams. The main bridge crossing over the main lake (Eaton
Ferry Bridge) is centrally
located and elevated to allow boats to go under. The lake also includes 20 “Creeks” that run north or south off the main body.
All have access to the main body, and some require boating under a bridge. The bridge "culverts" allow passage for
most boats, but a couple of them require lowering the bimini tops. The pontoon boat is a favorite
and seen just as often as water skiing boats… sailboats enjoy tacking across the main body, and of course, the lake is spotted
with fishing boats even on the coldest of days!
Many people prefer living, boating, or swimming in the coves/creeks on Lake
Gaston (large lakes themselves) because they tend to be quieter and there
is less wind, surf and boating activity. Property that is not located on the “main” lake is considered to be on a “cove.”
Closest Public Boat Ramps are located in:
Warren County, North Carolina
Big
Stonehouse Creek at Salmon’s Landing
SR 903, 3.5 miles north of Littleton, NC
-Or-
Brunswick County, Virginia
Pea
Hill Landing, at Pea Hill Creek
SR 705. Off of SR 26, two
miles east of Gasburg, VA
Fishing:
With the right protection, even fishing
in the winter is fun. Among others, you will find stripers and largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, walleye, white perch,
and catfish.
Temperatures:
Our moderate, four-season climate
has average winter temperatures of 42.4°F and summer temps of 76.5°F. Our typically light snow falls in the winter remain
for a couple of days, and roads are promptly cleared.