[flathead2brookie]

Haven't fished it before. Is there bank fishing permitted? I seem to recall it being prohibited. I'm looking to catch a yellow perch for my tank and then whatever else will bite. I know there is a dock there. How far out does it go? Is it deep enough there for crappie to hang aroun it this time of year?

 

[dbartushak]

I guess this is an odd way to make my first post on this forum, but I think I can answer your question. Lake Wheeler prohibits all bank fishing. Instead, they charge you a small fee ($3 for a Raleigh resident I believe?) and allow you to fish off the dock you mentioned or at Simpkins Pond.

The pond is NOT connected to the lake and is supposedly stocked, but it isn't worth it IMO. You'll see it as you drive into the park on the way to the boathouse. I have caught a decent number of yellow perch in the pond, however, so it may good for your purposes. I've also heard you can catch yellow perch off the dock on the main lake but I can't confirm myself.

 

[flathead2brookie]

I guess this is an odd way to make my first post on this forum, but I think I can answer your question. Lake Wheeler prohibits all bank fishing. Instead, they charge you a small fee ($3 for a Raleigh resident I believe?) and allow you to fish off the dock you mentioned or at Simpkins Pond.

The pond is NOT connected to the lake and is supposedly stocked, but it isn't worth it IMO. You'll see it as you drive into the park on the way to the boathouse. I have caught a decent number of yellow perch in the pond, however, so it may good for your purposes. I've also heard you can catch yellow perch off the dock on the main lake but I can't confirm myself.

Thanks. Do you think white marabou jigs will be okay? How far is the pond from the dock?

 

[dbartushak]

They aren't too close to each other. I suppose you could walk but there is parking near each as well. As for the jigs, I caught them tossing a small rapala minnow. Granted, I'm pretty new to fishing and was kinda just tossing it out and reeling in. I can't really didn't try any jigs so I can't attest to that. Caught bluegill, yellow perch, and a confused channel cat (everything small). This was at the pond.

 

[flathead2brookie]

I'm at the dock right now and keep catching bluegill. I'm using very small peices of shad meat. You know what, as I was typing this I got a hit and caught one.

 

[flathead2brookie]

Ended up catching six of them in about an hour, as well as a 4lb bass that decided to eat a misquitofish less than an inch long on a size 11 hook.

 

[misterslowride]

Did you catch any white perch?

 

[spidey]

Ended up catching six of them in about an hour, as well as a 4lb bass that decided to eat a misquitofish less than an inch long on a size 11 hook.

that was a hungry bass to go after that!!! You should have used the bluegill as bait

 

[flathead2brookie]

Did you catch any white perch?

Nope. Just yellow.

 

[dbartushak]

Thanks for the report. My parents' house is close to Wheeler, so I'm always interested to hear about it. I'll have to try the dock rather than the pond next time and see what is biting

 

[Brenardo]

I have heard of good catches of catfish from the main lake dock. One of the guys that works there claims some 25+ flathead and some 8+ channels.

 

[flathead2brookie]

I have heard of good catches of catfish from the main lake dock. One of the guys that works there claims some 25+ flathead and some 8+ channels.

I've never heard of flatheads in wheeler. Sounds interesting.

And to the post before, I Imagine if you stayed longer than I did you could fill a cooler with perch. I've heard they taste great. I caught 6 fish big enough to eat in an hour. About 15 minutes of that was me trying to snag shad for bait.