2026 Kerr Lake Striper & Catfish Weekend

May 29-31, 2026

Henderson Point Campground

Come join Drew Blake for a weekend of fishing on Kerr Lake/Buggs Island Reservoir. Buggs Island consists of nearly 50,000 acres of surface water and 800 miles of shoreline. Join us as we target two of the lakes well known fisheries (Striped Bass and Catfish). Buggs Island is known to have two “schools” of stripers which is based on their original stocking locations. One school ranges from Clarksville to the Ivy Hill area and “migrates” up the Dan River. During spring, these stripers can be found in the upper end of the lake and in the river above Clarksville as fish travel upstream to spawn. The second school ranges from Eastland Creek back toward the dam and “migrates” up to Nutbush Creek. As the summer progresses the upper school migrates down the lake and joins the lower school around Eastland Creek due to a combination of high water temperatures and low dissolved oxygen which forces striped bass to be found in the lower end of the lake (the dam to about Buoy 9 and in the mouth of Nutbush Creek). Striped bass caught during the summer suffer high mortality rates when released (approximately 75 percent). Therefore, both NC and VA have removed the size limit restriction during the summer months (June – September) and ask that anglers halt striper fishing when they catch their legal limit of four striped bass per day rather than continue to catch fish and cull smaller fish.

Buggs Island is also home to the World Record Blue Catfish weighing in at a whopping 143 pounds. Catfish can be caught throughout the lake by focusing on points next to deep channels.

Striped bass will be targeted with live bait and/or deep water trolling techniques depending on conditions at the time. Live baiting will consist of 6-8 rods rigged with modified Carolina Rigs topped off with herring or bream fishing in depths from 10-40 feet deep. Live baiting will utilize planers boards from AlphaBoardz. Deep Water Trolling will consist of 4 rods fished off of Cannon downriggers and 2-4 leadcore rods fishing at depths from 25-60 feet deep. Trolling will use a variety of lure combinations but the most common ones are Alabama rigs topped with bucktails and Striper Sniper Snake worms or a three way swivel with a diving lure on the bottom and a bucktail on the top.

Catfish will be targeted using Santee Cooper Rigs, Carolina Rigs, float rigs and/or noodles ranging from shallow points and coves (10-15 feet deep) to deep water channel ledges (30-40 feet deep) depending on conditions. Night time catfishing will occur depending on conditions and participant desires.

Overnight camping will occur on waterfront campsites with electric and running water in our 10×12 Canvas Wall Tent from The Wall Tent Shop and a Davis Canvas Tent. Bath facilities will be located in the communal bathhouse.