The Yadkin River
The Yadkin River starts as a simple spring near Blowing Rock, North Carolina and becomes one of the state's longest rivers, flowing 215 miles. As it makes it's way down from the Blue Ridge Mountains it is joined by the Ararat River, Mitchell River, Reddies River, Fisher River, Roaring River and the South Yadkin River. At North Wilkesboro, the river is impounded to form the W. Kerr Scott Reservoir, a 1,475 acre lake. From there the Yadkin winds it's way from the foothills, through the Piedmont until it's flow is again impounded at the High Rock Lake Dam. For more on the lake history, click here.
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Most High Rock Lake visitors never venture up river beyond the main parts of the lake but in the video below you can see there is a lot more to explore. Thanks to Lowrance Pro Staff's Bill Frazier we safely navigate the river channel from the lake, past the Yadkin River Park, to near Boones Cave Park. Please keep in mind that the river channel can be quite narrow and not knowing where you are going can lead to serious consequences.
Siltation
As the river makes its way into High Rock Lake, the water carries silt and debris that it has picked up as it flows down from the foothills. For many years this silt has been settling and accumulating in various spots. The most significant area is where Swearing Creek meets the main channel of the river. A very shallow area has formed here and even when water levels are at full pond navigation can be hazardous. That's why the NC Wildlife Resources Commission installed navigation markers to guide boaters in and out of Swearing Creek. You can see more on the markers by clicking here.
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In late fall 2022, Cube Hydro lowered the lake level at the request of property owners so they could do shoreline and dock maintenance. While the water level is down, the area of siltation is very pronounced. The video below was submitted by Heinrich Trautman. His drone footage shows the dramatic increase in the shallow areas near Swearing Creek. The High Rock Lake Association is currently working on strategies to deal with the siltation but so far this not a definite plan in place.