Lake James (Burke and McDowell Counties, North Carolina)

A 2,480-hectare Catawba River reservoir in the North Carolina foothills. Spear guns are a "special device" that may be used only in the counties and waters listed in 15A NCAC 10C .0407; both counties that contain Lake James — Burke (11)(b) and McDowell (53)(b) — authorise spear guns in all their public waters EXCEPT designated public mountain trout waters and Lake James by name. Spearfishing is therefore prohibited across the whole lake even though it is lawful in the surrounding county waters. This is a freshwater gear restriction, not a no-take reserve: angling continues normally.