Things to Do at Lake Gaston Virginia

The Lake Gaston Association

The Lake Gaston Association (LGA) is the primary community organization linking the five counties and two states that surround the lake — Brunswick and Mecklenburg counties in Virginia, and Halifax, Northampton, and Warren counties in North Carolina. The LGA is a volunteer, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with 25 directors: four volunteer director positions from each of the five counties plus one at-large position. Brunswick County, Virginia has its own four directors on the board.

The LGA's Annual Five-County Forum brings together county commissioners, state legislators, Dominion Energy representatives, and lake community members across both states to address lake governance issues: water quality, shoreline management plan updates, public access, Dominion Energy permit procedures, and emergency services coordination. For full-time residents who want to engage with how the lake is managed, the LGA is the primary civic entry point. Membership is open to all property owners and interested parties at any of the five lake counties.

Goat Island and Wobble Island

Lake Gaston has two named islands within its 35 miles: Goat Island and Wobble Island, both referenced in lake guides as points of exploration for boaters. The islands are on Dominion Energy's property and are not privately owned, but they are navigable destinations for day trips by boat. Goat Island in particular is a recognized landmark that gives Lake Gaston a distinctive geographical identity that most similarly-sized reservoirs lack.

Herman Road Day Use Site — Coming to Bracey

Brunswick County is developing the Herman Road Day Use site on a 14-acre waterfront parcel in Bracey, Virginia, purchased using Dominion FERC funds. Phase One, designed by Timmons Group, includes a canoe and kayak launch, a dock and pier onto Lake Gaston, a picnic area, a small parking lot for 8 to 12 vehicles, and access road improvements. The site is the primary new public access investment on the Virginia side of Lake Gaston and will provide non-motorized water access and picnic amenities once construction is complete. The project is being coordinated with VDOT for road access improvements through their Recreational Access Program.

The Roanoke River Blueway

Lake Gaston is connected to the Roanoke River Blueway — a water trail linking paddling destinations along the Roanoke River system from the upper reservoir chain through the coastal plain. Kayakers and canoeists use the lake's quieter coves on the Virginia side for paddling exploration independent of the main lake power boat traffic. The stable pool at Lake Gaston — no seasonal drawdown — means paddling access to coves and tributary fingers is consistent throughout the year, unlike Corps drawdown lakes where winter low water eliminates many paddling destinations.

Swimming and Water Sports

The stable pool supports consistent water sports use that drawdown lakes cannot guarantee year-round. Water skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, and personal watercraft are active on the main lake body through the summer season. Private dock swimming from permitted structures on Dominion property is standard practice; the stable water level and typically clear main-body water make dock swimming a reliable daily activity for lake residents in summer.

Regional Day Trips

Within 80 to 90 minutes in either direction, Lake Gaston residents have access to Richmond's historic sites — Maymont, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the Richmond National Battlefield Park — as well as Raleigh-Durham's Research Triangle attractions including the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (free admission), the NC Museum of Art, and Duke University campus. The Tobacco Heritage Trail through Southside Virginia — connecting South Hill, Emporia, and surrounding towns — provides a cycling and driving route through the region's agricultural history.