The Lucia side of the lake

Lucia is a community in eastern Lincoln County, and Lucia Riverbend Highway is the road that carries traffic along the northwestern side of Mountain Island Lake between Mount Holly and the Lincoln County line. Public access on this side of the water is the practical entry point for boaters and anglers who are not launching from a private dock.

What to expect

Launching safely here

• Rig in the lot, not on the ramp. There is rarely room to wait politely.
• Check generation before you go — the pool and the current both move.
• Stay clear of marked exclusion zones near the dams and the water intakes.
• Life jackets aboard for everyone; this is drinking water and enforcement is real.
• Pack everything out. The lake supplies drinking water to roughly a million people.

Before towing to the launch

Check the current access listing from the operating agency for the particular ramp you intend to use. Confirm its location, open status, parking rules and water conditions rather than relying on a map pin or an older trip report. The road name covers a corridor, not a guarantee that every shoreline turnoff is a public launch.

Once afloat, keep the return trip in mind. Water levels and generation can change while you are out, and a ramp approach that looked simple at departure may be different later. A map can orient you to the reservoir, but it cannot replace current agency notices or on-water judgment around shallow coves, intake areas and the dams.