Haw River Fishing Guides
A rocky Piedmont river with real shoal habitat and a strong smallmouth fishery, running from Burlington down through Saxapahaw and Bynum toward Jordan Lake.
Guides on the Haw River
Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.
No guides listed yet
Guide or outfit this water? Create your profile. Listing is free, the commission is 10% or 7% with a premium profile, and premium profiles list first on this water.
About the Haw River
The Haw is the Piedmont river that behaves like a mountain one. Instead of the sandy, sluggish channel typical of central North Carolina, it runs over exposed bedrock and boulder shoals for much of its length, dropping through a series of ledges and rapids between Burlington and Jordan Lake that give it both whitewater value and genuine fish habitat. The gauge sits on the upper river at the town of Haw River, above the best-known float water, and it is the number most paddlers and anglers check before committing to a day.
Smallmouth bass are the reason to fish it. The shoal complexes around Swepsonville, Saxapahaw and Bynum hold good numbers, and in a river this shallow they are approachable on foot as well as from a kayak or canoe. Largemouth occupy the slower pools, channel and flathead catfish live in the deeper bends and under the ledges, and bluegill and redbreast sunfish are everywhere in summer. Longnose gar cruise the flats in warm weather and are a legitimate target for anglers who want something different.
The Haw is a flashy river and that is the single most important thing to understand about it. It drains a large, increasingly developed watershed around Greensboro and Burlington, and a heavy rain anywhere upstream will raise it several feet and turn it the color of coffee within a day. It also drops fast. The window after it clears and before it goes low is when the river fishes best, and reading the gauge trend matters more here than the absolute number. Water quality has improved substantially over recent decades but urban runoff is still part of the picture, and local advisories are worth a look before keeping fish.
This water needs a real photo
The photo at the top of this page is not Haw River.
It is a regional stand-in, honestly captioned but generic — we will not put a name to a river we cannot prove. Send us a photograph you took here and it replaces the stand-in, with your credit on it.
Add a photo of this water
Landscape, not fish — the water itself. Reviewed by hand before it appears. The first one published here earns the Pioneer badge.
Fished this water? Add a photo
Reviewed by hand before it appears. Pick the water, not the spot — we never publish exact locations.
Access
Swepsonville River Park - developed access with parking, a canoe launch and shoal wading water.
Saxapahaw put-in below the dam - the standard launch for the most popular float on the river.
Bynum boat access on Highway 15-501 - lower river access above Jordan Lake.
Glencoe Mill Village access near Burlington - upper river bank fishing and a small launch.
Town of Haw River access near the gauge - convenient upper river parking and wading.
Chicken Bridge Road access in Chatham County - popular mid-lower river launch.
Jordan Lake upper end at the Highway 64 crossing - the bottom of the river reach.
Seasons
Spring: high and colored from Piedmont rain, with a strong smallmouth prespawn once it settles in late April.
Summer: the best months, low clear water over the shoals and excellent topwater fishing morning and evening.
Fall: falling water concentrates smallmouth on the ledges and catfishing stays strong in the deep bends.
Winter: cold and frequently high, a slow deep presentation game with very little angling pressure.
From the water
No logged trips yet. Be the first to put this water on your map.
Log this water
Fished it or cleaned it? Log in or create a free account to log a trip with photos and earn the waterway badge.
Questions
What is the current flow on the Haw River?
As of Sep 17, 4:45 am, the USGS gauge HAW RIVER AT HAW RIVER, NC reads 70 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Haw River?
Anglers target Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Longnose Gar, Redbreast Sunfish, Smallmouth Bass on the Haw River in North Carolina.
Where can you access the Haw River?
Swepsonville River Park - developed access with parking, a canoe launch and shoal wading water. Saxapahaw put-in below the dam - the standard launch for the most popular float on the river. Bynum boat access on Highway 15-501 - lower river access above Jordan Lake. Glencoe Mill Village access near Burlington - upper river bank fishing and a small launch. Town of Haw River access near the gauge - convenient upper river parking and wading. Chicken Bridge Road access in Chatham County - popular mid-lower river launch. Jordan Lake upper end at the Highway 64 crossing - the bottom of the river reac...
When is the best time to fish the Haw River?
Spring: high and colored from Piedmont rain, with a strong smallmouth prespawn once it settles in late April. Summer: the best months, low clear water over the shoals and excellent topwater fishing morning and evening. Fall: falling water concentrates smallmouth on the ledges and catfishing stays strong in the deep bends. Winter: cold and frequently high, a slow deep presentation game with very little angling pressure.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Haw River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the North Carolina agency site: https://www.ncwildlife.gov/fishing/regulations