Activities
Park Maps and Brochures:
Many campsites, a few picnic shelters and all boat ramps operated by Kerr Lake State Recreation Area have been closed due to flooding and other impacts from Tropical Storm Michael. Kerr Reservoir rose over 12 feet from 301.5’ msl on Thursday, October 11th, to 313.75’ msl as of Tuesday, October 16th at 8:00 am and is predicted to crest round 314’ msl on the October 16th or 17th. The lake level is predicted to still be around 312’ msl going into the weekend.
The reservation call center is contacting customers who reserved impacted facilities through October 25th; The facilities that are closed are:
Henderson Point:
Henderson Point Picnic Shelters #1, #2 and #3
Hibernia: All of Hibernia will be closed through the end of the season (October 28)
J.C. Cooper Campground: All of JC Cooper campground is currently closed, but sites 80-102, 104, H-1 and H-2 are scheduled to reopen on Thursday, October 18th.
The following JC Cooper Campground Sites will remain closed through at least October 25th: Campsites 1-79, 103 and H-3 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34A, 34B, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41D, 43, 44A, 44B, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 67, 69, 70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 103, H3)
JC Cooper Group Area
Kimball Point:
Area 2 Campsites: 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78D
Kimball Point Picnic Shelter
Nutbush: Area 3 Campsites: 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 86, 87, 88, 93, 94, 95, 100, 101, 102, 107, 108, 109
Satterwhite Point: Shelter #1 and Shelter #2
The bridges on Anderson Creek Rd., Jacksontown Rd. and Nutbush Rd are all currently closed due to flooding.
Note: The campgrounds at Bullocksville, County Line and Henderson Point are already closed for the season.
Posted on: Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Hiking
The park is a great place for a hike! See the Trails page for more information.
Accessible Facilities
Persons with disabilities will find access to a wide range of recreational facilities at Kerr Lake. All paved parking lots have special spaces available, and the restrooms and shower houses are also accessible. The Bullocksville and Henderson Point areas offer accessible fishing piers, and accessible camping sites are available at all camping areas. Accessible picnic areas are available at Bullocksville, Satterwhite Point and Henderson Point, and our community buildings are barrier free. Rangers can guide you to facilities best suited to your needs.
Boating
Enjoy boating throughout the year. Each recreation area has one or more concrete boat-launching ramps. County Line, Henderson Point, Hibernia and Nutbush recreation areas provide 24-hour access to the water.
There are five boat ramps located within Kerr Lake State Recreation Area that offer 24-hour access. The N.C Division of Parks and Recreation operates two 24-hour boat ramps at Nutbush. County Line, Henderson Point and Hibernia each have one 24-hour boat ramp operated by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. All other boat ramps within Kerr Lake State Recreation Area are open during park hours, and visitors must exit the park before the park's closing time. Boating facilities with courtesy docks, which are open during park hours are located at Bullocksville, Henderson Point, Hibernia and Kimball Point. J. C. Cooper Campground at Satterwhite Point offers a boat ramp and courtesy dock for campers only.
Other public ramps are operated on Kerr Lake outside of Kerr Lake State Recreation Area. In addition to the three ramps operated by The NC Wildlife Resources Commission inside our areas, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission also operates Flemingtown Access Area located at the end of Flemingtown Rd. The US Army Corps of Engineers and Virgina State Parks each operate boat ramps on the Virginia portion of Kerr Lake.
Sailing: Prevailing winds offer ideal conditions for sailing enthusiasts. County Line, Henderson Point and Kimball Point have expansive bodies of water particularly well-suited for sailing. Sudden wind changes and large waves are not unusual, so cautious seamanship is advised.
Two commercial marinas, Steele Creek Marina and Satterwhite Point Marina, are open year round and offer fuel, mooring, slips, service and supplies. Distances and shorelines may be deceiving to the navigator who is unfamiliar with the lake. The Uniform Waterway Marker System has been installed for your safety. Obey all buoys and markers.
Check lake water levels at the US Army Corps of Engineers website.
Fishing
One of the best fishing lakes in the eastern United States, Kerr Lake features striped bass, largemouth bass, white perch, crappie, and catfish. Fish from a boat, the shoreline or from the piers at Bullocksville and Henderson Point. The pier at Henderson Point is open 24 hours per day.
Swimming
There are many popular swimming locations along the shore at Kerr Lake. In addition, Satterwhite Point has a defined swimming area with accessible change rooms and restrooms.
There are no lifeguards on duty. Closely supervise children at all times and outfit them with personal flotation devices when they are in or near the water. Personal flotation devices are available for loan at Satterwhite Point, Henderson Point, Hibernia and Kimball Point.
Picnicking
Choose from more than 300 picnic tables and 11 covered picnic shelters with access to the lakeshore and boat ramps. Shelters vary in size and have from four to six tables. The shelters have running water and are free of charge unless reservations are requested. The shelters can be reserved through our central reservation system.
Kerr Lake State Recreation Area
November – February: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
March, April, September and October: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
May – August: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Closed Christmas Day
The day use areas at Bullocksville, Henderson Point Shelter 1 and Satterwhite Point are open year-round. All other day use areas are closed late October – late March. The Henderson Point day use area for shelter 2, shelter 3 and the community building is closed late October – late March but will be opened for groups who rent the community building or the shelters.
County Line, Henderson Point, Hibernia and Nutbush have 24-hour boat ramp facilities open year-round. All other day use areas are closed and locked at park closing time.
Park Hours - Campgrounds
J.C. Cooper Campground at Satterwhite Point and Nutbush are open for camping year-round and have 24 hours access. All other campground areas are closed and locked at park closing time.
Other Campground gate hours are as follows:
March, April and October: 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
May – September: 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Closed Christmas Day
Park Office
8 a.m. – 5 p.m. seven days a week
Closed Christmas Day