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Kerr Lake

Also known as: Buggs Island Lake, Kerr Reservoir, Buggs Island Reservoir

The 50,000 acre John H. Kerr Reservoir straddles the Virginia-North Carolina border. This impoundment of the Roanoke and Dan Rivers, completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1952, was created originally for flood control and generation of hydroelectric power. Kerr Lake has become a recreational wonderland since that time with fishing, boating, sailing, skiiing, swimming, and camping opportunities.

The original name of Kerr Lake was Buggs Island Lake, named after an island in the Roanoke River just below the dam site in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Samuel Bugg was an early Virginia settler, and locals still call the reservoir Buggs Island Lake. However, the lake's official name is the John H. Kerr Reservoir, named after the U.S. Senator from North Carolina who was a strong supporter of the project. Waters from Kerr Lake Dam flow into Lake Gaston, another reservoir straddling the borders of Virginia and North Carolina. Kerr Lake is conveniently located to Interstate 85, just 45 miles from Raleigh, North Carolina and 110 miles from Richmond, Virginia.

Kerr Lake's full pond level is 300 feet above sea level, covering 48,900 at this elevation. Lake levels generally fluctuate about 15 feet a year. The Army Corps of Engineers owns to the 320 foot elevation, so there is little lakefront development. The lake is over 100 feet deep at the dam with an average depth of about 30 feet.

Kerr Lake invites you outdoors to enjoy the beauty of nature, the calm of the water, and all the fun that can be had while basking under a golden sun. Begin your trip as many do, enjoying the lake by boat, whether rented at a local marina or brought from home. There are boat launches located all around the 800-mile lake shoreline, so be sure to check for the one closest to you. Powerboats enjoy the openness that 50,000 acres provides. Sailboats drift along, waiting to catch the perfect wind that will take them flying down the channel, testing their crews' skill as they pass green shores and interesting rock formations. The perfect follow-up activity to boating is a dip in the cool Kerr Lake waters. Though there are many defined swimming locations around the lake, most often found in the recreation areas, many boaters choose a quiet spot to lower their anchor and dive in. Whatever your pleasure, you'll surely enjoy the deep blue water's effect on your sun-drenched skin.

Eager anglers know Kerr Lake as one of the best fishing lakes in the eastern United States. Largemouth bass are the most popular catches at Kerr Lake. Crappie are the second most popular catches, owing to the lake having one of the best crappie fisheries in the southeast. Kerr Lake is just one of the few lakes in the country where striped bass (stripers) reproduce naturally. Other popular catches include catfish and white perch. Drop in a line from your boat or head to one of the lake's fishing piers. Anglers can use either a Virginia or North Carolina fishing license on either side of the state line.

Facilities available at the Kerr Lake State Recreation Area near Henderson, North Carolina include boat ramps, camping, RV hook-ups, fishing piers, swimming, hiking trails, picnic areas, and a community building for group events. Henderson is also an auto-lover's new favorite place, boasting the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame, the Show, Shine, Shag & Dine Car Show, and the Corbitt Truck show in October. These annual events bring classic cars, nostalgic drag cars, powerful muscle cars, and classic trucks to the town, providing endless entertainment and education.

Clearly, Kerr Lake can be a place to kick back, put your feet up, and enjoy a picnic to the background music of a lake lapping at the shore, or it can be your home base to a vacation of classic cars, fine dining, and explosive entertainment.

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