Lake Hickory
Lake Hickory was created in 1927 with the completion of the Oxford Dam. The dam parallels the NC Highway 16 bridge over the Catawba River between I-40 and Taylorsville. It is 122 feet high, with an overall length of 1,200 feet. The spillway section of the dam is 550 feet long.
Lake Hickory was named after the nearby city of the same name. The lake covers almost 4,223 acres with 105 miles of shoreline. Full pond elevation is 935 feet. Lake Hickory is a reliable source of water for the nearby cities of Hickory and Longview, North Carolina.
Duke Energy provides five public access areas on the lake in cooperation with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
Public Access Areas
- Gunpowder Access Area
- Lovelady Access Area
- R & N Marina 1-828-495-8833
- Wittenburg Access Area
- Lakeside Marina 1-828-495-8181
- Dusty Ridge Access Area
- Oxford Access Area
- River Bend Park 1-828-256-9157 (Operated by Catawba Co. Open late 1999)
- Rink Dam Marina 1-828-632-7937
- Taylorsville Beach Marina 1-828-632-7649
- John Geitner Park 1-828-322-7046 (Operated by City of Hickory)
- Glen C. Hilton Park 1-828-322-7046 (Operated by City of Hickory)
- 321 Marina 1-828-322-9433
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Gunpowder Access Area |   |
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Lovelady Access Area | |
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R&N Marina |   |
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Wittenburg Access Area |   |
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Lakeside Marina |  |
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Dusty Ridge Access Area | |
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Oxford Access Area | |
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River Bend Park |   |
| (Operated by Catawba Co.) |   | |
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Rink Dam Marina | |
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Taylorsville Beach Marina | |
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John Geitner Park |  |
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Glen C. Hilton Park |  |
| (Both parks operated by the City of Hickory) | ||
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321 Marina | |
