Also called Berry Creek Reservoir, Ben Irving covers about 200 acres and is located 12 miles southwest of Winston and about three and a half miles directly south of the community of Tenmile on Highway 42. Although heavily used by pleasure boaters, there is an area at the upper end that is restricted to any use of gasoline-powered motors and offers a little more peace and quiet. Ben Irving produces largemouth bass weighing at least eight pounds each year and also fair numbers of sizable black crappies to more than a foot in length. Lots of fair-sized bluegills in this lake also. A few smallmouth bass were
reported taken from Ben Irving a number of years ago, but there have been no recent reports. Ben Irving can provide some surprisingly good bass fishing during the late fall and early spring months.
P Heley