Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gaston Access KapStone Kraft Paper - 1 launch lane | Access / boat ramp | 36.48264, -77.64431 | Privately owned ramp at Gaston, the top of the tailwater below Roanoke Rapids Dam. |
| 2 | Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids USGS 02080500 - real-time stage and flow | USGS gauge | 36.46000, -77.63361 | Roster gauge for this water. Releases from the Roanoke Rapids plant drive the whole tailwater; check before a float. |
| 3 | Weldon Access Town of Weldon - 3 launch lanes | Access / boat ramp | 36.42744, -77.59095 | Town of Weldon ramp, three lanes and a carry-down - the striper-run centre of the river. Rock outcroppings and hidden rocks in the river here. |
| 4 | Odom Access Odom Correctional Farm - 2 launch lanes | Access / boat ramp | 36.32523, -77.44061 | Ramp at Jackson maintained on Odom Prison Farm land; carry-down as well as trailer lanes. |
| 5 | Edwards Ferry Access NC Wildlife Resources Commission - 2 launch lanes | Access / boat ramp | 36.20841, -77.38348 | WRC ramp at Scotland Neck. Heavily used during striper season. |
| 6 | Lewiston Woodville Access NC Wildlife Resources Commission - 2 launch lanes | Access / boat ramp | 36.09756, -77.25003 | WRC ramp in Bertie County with a paddle-craft carry-down. |
| 7 | Hamilton Access NC Wildlife Resources Commission - 2 launch lanes | Access / boat ramp | 35.94729, -77.20262 | WRC ramp at Hamilton. Heavily used during striper season. |
| 8 | Williamston Access NCDOT - 2 launch lanes | Access / boat ramp | 35.86002, -77.04111 | NCDOT-owned ramp at Williamston, with a carry-down for paddlers. |
| 9 | Astoria Landing Access NC Wildlife Resources Commission - 2 launch lanes | Access / boat ramp | 35.82196, -76.90243 | WRC ramp at Jamesville with a carry-down; lowest river ramp before the Plymouth reach. |
| 10 | Plymouth Water Street Access Town of Plymouth - 2 launch lanes | Access / boat ramp | 35.86672, -76.75309 | Town of Plymouth ramp on the waterfront. |
| 11 | NC Hwy 45 Bridge Access NC Wildlife Resources Commission - 2 launch lanes | Access / boat ramp | 35.91262, -76.72061 | WRC ramp at the NC 45 bridge below Plymouth, on the tidal lower river. |
Gauge: USGS 02080500 — ROANOKE RIVER AT ROANOKE RAPIDS, NC. Live flow on the web page.
Species: American Shad, Blue Catfish, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Hickory Shad, Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, White Perch
Regulations: www.ncwildlife.gov/fishing/regulations
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Weldon boat ramp - the main striper launch and the busiest access on the river.
Roanoke Rapids access below the dam at the USGS gauge - bank fishing and the flow reference.
Halifax landing - lower access below the rapids section.
Scotland Neck and Palmyra landings - middle river trailer access for catfish and largemouth.
Williamston ramp - lower river access toward the floodplain and sound.
Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge paddle accesses - lower river hand launch.
Weldon riverfront walkway - bank access during the spring run.
Spring: the striped bass run peaks from mid-April into May, with shad slightly earlier; this is the defining season.
Summer: stripers drop back downstream and the river becomes a catfish and largemouth fishery.
Fall: quieter, with catfish and scattered largemouth and a few stripers holding in the lower river.
Winter: low guided activity above Weldon; the fish are in Albemarle Sound.