Overview
Lake Gaston is a roughly 20,300-acre reservoir on the Roanoke River straddling the North Carolina-Virginia line, spanning Halifax, Northampton, and Warren counties in North Carolina and Brunswick and Mecklenburg counties in Virginia. It was created in 1963 when the Virginia Electric and Power Company (now Dominion Energy) completed Gaston Dam for hydroelectric power.
About 34 miles long with roughly 350 miles of shoreline, Lake Gaston averages near 40 feet deep and reaches about 97 feet, with an average width just over a mile. Fed by releases from Kerr Reservoir upstream, it is one of a chain of three Roanoke River hydro lakes in close proximity, and its extensive residential shoreline and stable levels make it a popular year-round lake community.
The lake is famous for its largemouth bass fishing and also produces striped bass, crappie, catfish, and bream, with fisheries managed by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Public boat ramps, marinas, and parks in both states provide access.
Water levels on Lake Gaston are managed by Dominion Energy around a normal full pool of 200 feet above mean sea level, and the lake is typically held within about a one-foot fluctuation, making it unusually stable. Because it depends on releases from Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) upstream and passes water to Roanoke Rapids Lake below, monitoring current lake levels is still helpful for boating, fishing, and dock access.
Current Conditions
Lake Gaston is currently 0.18 feet below full pool and has risen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendRisingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeDown 0.08 ft
- 30-day changeDown 0.04 ft
- Drought conditionsModerate Drought
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Lake Gaston is a 20,300-acre reservoir on the Roanoke River (from Kerr Lake) managed by Dominion Energy.