A Little History Of Lake Wylie

[Ace]

Lake Wylie is the oldest lake on the Catawba River.The dam for Lake Wylie was built in 1904 near Fort Mill South Carolina .It was named after Dr.W.Gil Wylie who organized the Catawba Power Company.It is a predecessor of Duke Power.
The lake covers 13,443 acres and has 325 miles of shore line.At full pond it is 570 feet above sea level.

The South Fork of the Catawba originates in the South Mountains of North Carolina.And flows east from Burke county into Catawba county.There it joins the Jacob Fork then it becomes the South Fork of the Catawba river.Which empty's in to the North Fork of the Catawba river at Belmont Upper Armstrong Bridge.There are several dams on the South Fork River inGastonCounty.Just to name a few,Hardin Dam,Spencer Mountain Dam,McAdenville Dam and Upper Armstrong Bridge Dam.South Fork River is overlooked by alot of fishermen because there is no public accesses.In2005 a 40 pound flat head catfish was caught in South Fork and published in our local newspaper,The Gaston Gazette.I will upload the pic of that fish it not real good.
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[Dragger]

Great post Ace, i grew up fishing the south fork, family had a place there for over 35 yrs. I didnt know about the 40lb flathead, might have to go flat hunting , want to go........Thanks Brother...............

[WylieCat]

A lot of people don't know it, but the original lake was around 5,000 acres and most of the original dam was washed away in the big flood of 1916 and it was "redammed" in 1925.

[RiverratSC]

I'll go y'all one better. One of the major land markers use for mapping in under the lake and they're not sure where the lines actually fall. They are now working on refiguring the state line and ran into trouble when they discovered the marker was in the lake.

[WylieCat]

Ya, that thang is somewhere around where the South Fork River channel meets the Catawba River channel, supposedly on the west bank of the South Fork River. I have what I think is it marked with GPS coordinates, but it ain't three feet tall anymore!! LOL!!

[HHinNC]

Unless it has been changed, there is no reciprocal license agreement between NC and SC, so you have to have to be careful unless you have both licenses? I seem to remember it being that way some years ago anyway. I'm assuming it is still that way.

[WylieCat]

Yes HHinNC it is still that way. NC and SC have an ongoing pissing match and neither party wants to concede to what is best for fishermen. I believe every other state surrounding the two states share in a reciprocal agreement except for NC and SC.

[Dragger]

Many years ago the old BOYD ESTATE was from the buster boyd bridge to crowders mtn. An old man built his home in the chapel grove area, he walked with a mule and tools from the charlotte area every couple of weeks untill his home to work on it untill it finished. he had to cross the catawba river, so he built the first BUSTER BOYD BRIDGE, ( a foot log , the mule walked across in the water ) this story was told to me by a friend . Mr. Howard Boyd. ..........