Loading page content…
Loading page content…
Loading lake conditions…
Lake Gaston sits in North Carolina and is classified as a reservoir. It covers roughly 20,000 surface acres (about 31 square miles). Fish documented in the area include Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish, Bluegill, and Largemouth Bass. Sitting at around 200 feet of elevation, it drops to a maximum depth near 95 feet. For this location, LakeRadar tracks an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. If you are planning a trip, Roanoke Rapids Lake and Kerr Lake are also nearby. Water data on this page comes from a mapped monitoring station near the lake. Forecasts for Lake Gaston come from the National Weather Service and refresh several times a day.
Updated
Latest source update is older than expected. Use caution and check the official source.
The last automated check (Oct 9, 7:53 AM EDT) found no active alerts for this lake, but that check is older than LakeRadar's alert freshness window, so the current alert status could not be confirmed.
Confirm before heading out: official alerts for this area or weather.gov/alerts. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
Overall Excellent (92/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (98/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 93/100 across these hours. Wind 2 mph from the northeast. Dusk hours (19:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 58° | 63° | 67° | 71° | 73° | 75° | 77° | 76° | 76° | 76° | 73° | 69° | 66° | 68° | 67° | 65° | 65° | 64° | 63° | 63° | 62° | 62° | 62° | 61° |
| Wind (kts) | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Direction | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | NE | NE | NE |
| Gusts (kts) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 8 AM EDT | 58°F | 3 mph N (0°) | 7 mph | 0% | 77% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 AM EDT | 63°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 7 mph | 0% | 77% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 AM EDT | 67°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 7 mph | 0% | 77% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 AM EDT | 71°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 8 mph | 0% | 76% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 12 PM EDT | 73°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 7 mph | 0% | 76% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 1 PM EDT | 75°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 7 mph | 0% | 76% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 2 PM EDT | 77°F | 5 mph N (0°) | 7 mph | 0% | 76% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 3 PM EDT | 76°F | 3 mph N (0°) | 6 mph | 0% | 74% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 4 PM EDT | 76°F | 3 mph NE (45°) | 6 mph | 0% | 71% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 5 PM EDT | 76°F | 3 mph NE (45°) | 5 mph | 0% | 69% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM EDT | 73°F | 2 mph NE (45°) | 5 mph | 0% | 70% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 PM EDT | 69°F | 2 mph NE (45°) | 4 mph | 0% | 71% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM EDT | 66°F | 2 mph NE (45°) | 2 mph | 0% | 72% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM EDT | 68°F | 2 mph NE (45°) | 4 mph | 0% | 74% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM EDT | 67°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 4 mph | 0% | 76% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM EDT | 65°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 4 mph | 0% | 78% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM EDT | 65°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 4 mph | 0% | 83% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM EDT | 64°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 4 mph | 0% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 2 AM EDT | 63°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 4 mph | 0% | 93% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 3 AM EDT | 63°F | 3 mph E (90°) | 5 mph | 1% | 93% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 4 AM EDT | 62°F | 3 mph E (90°) | 6 mph | 1% | 93% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 5 AM EDT | 62°F | 5 mph NE (45°) | 7 mph | 1% | 91% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 6 AM EDT | 62°F | 6 mph NE (45°) | 8 mph | 1% | 93% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 7 AM EDT | 61°F | 6 mph NE (45°) | 10 mph | 1% | 92% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 8 AM EDT | 61°F | 7 mph NE (45°) | 12 mph | 13% | 90% | Cloudy |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Today October 9, 2026 | Tonight October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 78° | 61° | 71° | 64° | 78° | 65° | 79° | 61° | 82° | 61° | 78° | 57° | 74° | 57° |
| Wind | N 5 mph | NE 5 mph | NE 6 to 12 mph | E 14 mph | SE 8 to 13 mph | SW 9 mph | W 10 mph | NW 1 to 7 mph | W 3 mph | W 6 mph | NW 6 mph | NE 5 mph | E 3 mph | SE 2 mph |
| Gusts | 8 mph | 7 mph | 21 mph | 23 mph | 21 mph | 18 mph | 20 mph | 14 mph | 6 mph | 9 mph | 9 mph | 7 mph | 6 mph | 4 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 1% | 21% | 95% | 95% | 87% | 7% | 7% | 1% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 1% | 5% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Lake Gaston. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Nearby river temperature: 73.2°F at ROANOKE RIVER AT HALIFAX, NC (24.1 mi away) · Oct 9, 12:15 PM UTC
Excellent for fishing (93/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 3 mph from the north. Morning hours (08:00 local). Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for boating (98/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 3 mph from the north. Gusts to 7 mph. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Fair for sailing (73/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Gusts are within 4 mph of sustained wind, so the breeze is steady. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Excellent for kayaking (97/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 3 mph from the north. Gusts to 7 mph. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
Loading interactive map…
Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of NC Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Lake Gaston offers an inviting freshwater retreat in NC & VA, overseen by state and local natural resource agencies. Its waters provide ample room for watersports, pontoon cruising, and quiet morning paddle trips along sheltered bays. Staying updated on real-time streamflow and meteorological conditions ensures a smooth trip on the water.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Mild year-round outdoor climate. Uncrowded waters, active winter bass and crappie fishing, and open year-round boat launch access.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Lake Gaston is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 8:30 AM EDT