Welcome! About the Game: Mountain Island Lake is located south of Lake Norman and hosts 61 miles of shoreline. Three canoe/kayak launches create a 6.1-mile blueway stretch in this section. Description. Mountain Island Lake while only 1/10th the size of Lake Norman, this lake provides drinking water to over 3/4 of a million people in the Charlotte, Mount Holly, Gastonia area. The upper section of Mountain Island Lake is also good for paddling and it is mostly undeveloped due to the presence of a large number of parks and natural areas purchased to help protect the drinking water for Charlotte and other neighboring towns. The best access for paddling are the launches at Latta Plantation Preserve. If you wish to paddle connecting sections of the blueway (Lake Norman Section and Lake Wylie Section), you need a car as there are no portage trails around the dams. Mountain Island Lake was created in 1924 with construction of the Mountain Island Hydroelectric Station. At full pond, the Lake has a total surface area of 2,788 acres and 27 miles of shoreline in Mecklenburg County. Mountain Island Lake was built in 1924 with the construction of Mountain Island Hydroelectric Station. The lake has approximately 3,281 acres of surface area and 61 miles of shoreline. The lake also supports Riverbend Steam Station by cooling the steam that drives the turbines and provides a dependable water supply for Mount Holly, Gastonia and Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina. Full pond elevation is approximately 647.5 feet. Duke Energy provides two boating access areas on the lake and a tailrace fishing platform for bank fishing in cooperation with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission." - Duke Energy - Mountain Island Lake. Other Information. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT EVEN THE EASIEST SECTIONS OF THE RIVER CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS DURING PERIODS OF HIGH WATER FLOW. It is strongly recommended that you check the release schedule for the dam above the section that you are paddling before starting the trip because water levels can increase quickly on the Catawba. Information about scheduled releases and the impact on downstream flow on the Mountain Island Lake section of the Catawba River is available on the Duke Energy website or by calling 800-829-5253. Trail Manager. NCWRC manages the following: Neck Road Access Area Riverbend Access Area. parking island mountain road hack
