Fishing Lake Wylie

Wylie is one of four lakes built on the Catawba River. It is also the oldest lake on the Catawba River. The original dam was constructed in 1904 and was rebuilt in 1924. The current owner of Lake Wylie is Duke Power Company which owns and operates a number of lakes in South Carolina and North Carolina.

Lake Wylie is very unique in the fact that there are many towns very close to the lake. On the South Carolina side lies the township of Lake Wylie which is located at the Buster Boyd Bridge on Highway 49. Below the dam lies the cities of Rock Hill and Fort Mill located near I-77. On the North Carolina side are the cities of Gastonia and Charlotte. Gastonia is located a few miles from the upper reaches of the lake and Charlotte is about 10 miles east of the lake on Highway 49 after you cross the Buster Boyd Bridge. Also, a large theme park called Carowinds, is located here in the outskirts of Charlotte.

Major Highway Access I-77 * 274 * 49 * 557
Length 10 Miles
Full Pool Elevation 569.4 Feet Above MSL
Size 12,455 Acres
Dam Completion 1926
Project Management Duke Power Company
Maximum Depth 94 Feet (SCDHEC)
Mean Depth 23 Feet (SCDHEC)

To fish this lake a South Carolina fishing license is required for the South Carolina side and a North Carolina fishing license is required for the North Carolina side. A good idea is to purchase a lake map to show where the border is located. This way you will have the correct state fishing license for the side of the lake you choose to fish. If you want to purchase a fishing license, there are many lakeside businesses around each side of the lake.

Public Boat Access is located at the Duke Power Buster Boyd Access Area. There are four nice concrete boat ramps with plenty of parking. There is no charge for launching a boat.