Lake Norman Info

B

bsteven43

New Member
Jul 30, 2007
51
Guys - We're thinking of relocating to Charlotte area and I have a few questions about Lake Norman. I've been to the Lake Norman sites but still have a couple of questions. I'd appreciate whatever info I can get.

1. Is Lake Norman landlocked? Can you get to the Atlantic from it? Can you get anywhere else?

2. Are there plenty of restaurants/marinas etc on the lake? Let's say you live in Cornelius ... are there place to go by water to eat, entertainment?

3. What's the worst weather you'll get on Lake Norman? I've been there when a summer t-storm comes through but how bad does the lake actually get?

4. Is the lake plenty clean for swimming? Any bacteria issues after heavy rains?

5. How good a fishing lake is Lake Norman?

6. Can you boat 12 months a year? I think average high is about 55 or so in January so I'm sure its cold but if inclined, do people boat year around? Is winterizing necessary?

Thanks guys ... any additional advice or site links would be appreciated.
 
Brad

Compared to Concord Ohio (I was born and raised in Cleveland and lived in Mentor, Kirtland and Chardon) you will think you died and went to heaven down here.:grin:

I can answer some of your questions Brad but since I boat on Lake Wylie which is a bit further south, I can't answer all of them. Lake Norman is part of the Catawba River chain of lakes that winds it's way thru North and South Carolina. It is by far the largest lake on the Cawtaba but like all lakes on the Cawtaba there is no way to portage from Lake to Lake because each one has it's own dam. So in effect your are land locked. As far as restaurants on the lake go, I think there are quite a few but maybe one of the locals can give you a better answer. As far as storms go, unless we get a hurricane roar thru here, the worst you will see is some lake chop, proably no worse than one or two footers and whatever accompanies it like wind or driving rain. In a "normal" summer, it is not ucommon to see scattered afternoon thunderstorms build up because of the humidity in the air. The lake is clean enough for swimming and I have never heard of any warnings being posted because of bacteria unless a treatment plant overflows. You will however experience "red water" from muddy runoffs (the dirt is red here) after heavy storms. Lake Wylie is more affected by that than Lake Norman and it does take awhile for that to clear up. Fishing is probably OK much as it is on most of the Cawtaba lakes. Bass Fishing seems to be the "in thing" and there are always fishing tournaments going on at Norman and Wylie. But the best thing about living here is the year round boating when you are wet slipped. My winterization consists of keeping the cabin heat operating while moored and a bilge heater operating for the times when the temprature goes below freezing. I drain my fresh water lines that I cannot protect such as in the Lazarette but beyond that I do use my freshwater system as well. The lake itself will never get ice on it and as long as you have camper canvas you are set for a comfortable day on the water in the middle of winter. The only other thing I would caution you about is to ask questions about problems with low lake levels in a year like we are having. We have a drought this year and while Duke Power does a pretty good job of controlling lake levels they can't do much when Mother Nature provides no rain. Norman is down over 6 feet now and Wylie is down over 5 feet. I can barely get out of our Marina and many other boats can't move at all. So if you will buy a home on the lake, go for deep water if you have your own dock. If you will moor at a Marina, ask about water levels. If you want to see how the drought has affected our lakes click on this link. http://www.duke-energy.com/lakes/levels/all.asp?all

So come on down Brad. I can't even imagine the thought of another Cleveland winter after living here for almost seven years.:thumbsup:

Dave
 
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Wow - Dave, I'm about ready to jump in the car. In addition to loving boating and watersports, I'm a golfer too. Right about this time every year I slip into a seasonally-induced depression that lasts until about April. :) I appreciate the information. I looked at some maps and saw that the lakes seemed inter-connected but didn't realize they were dammed. The water level is something I didn't know about either. Great info - thank you. We are looking to move within the next couple of years - sooner if I get my way. Thanks again for the great info -Brad
 
bsteven43 said:
Guys - We're thinking of relocating to Charlotte area and I have a few questions about Lake Norman. I've been to the Lake Norman sites but still have a couple of questions. I'd appreciate whatever info I can get.

1. Is Lake Norman landlocked? Can you get to the Atlantic from it? Can you get anywhere else?

No,..LKN is a VERY nice lake to boat on, but is land-locked

2. Are there plenty of restaurants/marinas etc on the lake? Let's say you live in Cornelius ... are there place to go by water to eat, entertainment?

I live in Cornelius, You have the Rusty Rudder (food/gas/pump-out), Mid Town Sundries (food/gas) and numerous other eateries by water.

3. What's the worst weather you'll get on Lake Norman? I've been there when a summer t-storm comes through but how bad does the lake actually get?

The weather here is great. You can boat almost year-round. The lake NEVER freezes.

4. Is the lake plenty clean for swimming? Any bacteria issues after heavy rains?

LKN is a very clean lake for swimming,...very little Giardia.

5. How good a fishing lake is Lake Norman?

Fishing,...that's what we do the best next to having almost all the NASCAR teams here. On an average weekday, you will see Dale Jr, J Johnson or countless others at Cocktail Cove.

6. Can you boat 12 months a year? I think average high is about 55 or so in January so I'm sure its cold but if inclined, do people boat year around? Is winterizing necessary?

Yes, you can boat year-round. It does get cold in February though. If you have a crusier, you can get way with a space heater in the cabin to keep the engine warm. If you are ona lift,..you MUST winterize or suffer the consequences.

Thanks guys ... any additional advice or site links would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Another good web site is www.LKNFUN.com

Cheers
 
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