Kerr Lake is an incredibly popular fishing spot: anglers spend an estimated 900,000 hours fishing at Kerr Lake each year (for reference, 900,000 hours is more than 103 years!). The 48,900-acre lake is known for the number and size of its fish: striped and largemouth bass, blue, channel and flathead catfish, crappie and perch are plentiful. Buggs Island Lake is also one of Virginia’s best places to catch crappie.
Most official signs and most references in North Carolina call it Kerr Lake and the John H. Kerr dam (pronounced Car). However, the Virginia state legislature, angered by the name imposed by the federal government, passed a resolution in 1952 that the body of water created by the dam shall “forever more” be known as Buggs Island Lake.
So while you’re in Virginia, you will still see signs for “Buggs Island Lake.” Even the Virginia Department of Fish and Game calls it Buggs Island Lake. After all, it’s state law!
Of course, you’ll need a fishing license, but don’t worry if all you have is a North Carolina license. A reciprocal license agreement between the VDGIF and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission meaning that either state fishing license is legal.
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/waterbodies/display.asp?id=25
