Lake Gaston is one of the truly outstanding lakes in the country. It is over 20,000 acres of "high quality" water,   34 miles long, and approximately one and one half miles wide at the lower end of the lake. It has over 350 miles of shoreline.

Lake Gaston begins on the western end at Kerr Dam, built in 1953 for flood control.  Below Lake Gaston is Roanoke Rapids Lake, a smaller lake built in 1955 for hydroelectric power. The Gaston Dam was completed in 1963, and Lake Gaston borders the counties of Mecklenburg and Brunswick in Virginia and Warren, Halifax and Northampton in North Carolina. Normal height of the water is 200 feet above sea level and by regulation the water depth may vary only one foot plus or minus from the normal level except in case of emergency. And with virtually no pollution, the water is almost drinkable without treatment.

Lake Gaston is well stocked with game fish which include striped bass or rock fish, large mouth bass, crappie, sunfish and several varieties of catfish. Other species of fish sometimes caught are walleye, yellow perch and chain pickerel. Fishing tournaments are popular throughout the season. A valid license for either Virginia or North Carolina permits fishing from a boat in either state. No license is required for those under 15. 

For the boating enthusiast, motor boating, tubing, water skiing, wakeboarding and jet skiing are all popular water sports.  Public boat ramps are available, and marinas are scattered around the shoreline, offering gas and supplies as well as lakeside dining.

Good restaurants, shopping, and cultural activities can be enjoyed year round in the cities and towns around the area.  For offshore recreation there are golfing facilities, both public and private in close proximity.  Area residents often participate in the many nearby clubs which offer a wide variety of choices, including gardening, travel, recreation, computers, and much more.

Annual events at the Lake include the Lake Gaston Chamber of Commerce's Annual Battle of the Barbecue during Memorial Day weekend, a fireworks display held the Saturday nearest the Fourth of July, the Chamber Golf Tournament during the summer, and the Littleton/Lake Gaston Festival on Labor Day weekend. 

Come visit us...you will love everything about the lake!

As determined by a N.C. Department of Transportation study, mileage to the Lake Gaston area from specific points has been established as follows:

• Interstate 85 to Interstate 95 crossing Eaton Ferry Bridge, 44.3 miles

• Intersection of U.S. 158 and N.C. 903 to the Virginia-North Carolina state boundary line, 20.65 miles

• I-95 to Lake Gaston (Eaton Ferry bridge by way of U.S. 158, N.C. 903, etc.) 25.2 miles

• I-95 to Lake Gaston (Eaton Ferry bridge by way of N.C. 46, N.C. 48, etc.) 29.2 miles

• I-85 to Lake Gaston (Eaton Ferry bridge by way of U.S. 158, etc.) 27.4 miles