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Around 20 of the 80 North American leech species are found in North Carolina.

While leech bites are generally harmless, they can become infected.

A common worry among visitors to lakes, ponds and rivers emerges every summer - are there leeches lurking below the surface?

In 2024, radio station Kiss 91.5 FM posted an article on its website claiming that N.C.'s Lake Gaston was the No. 1 most leech infested in the nation. Located on the border of Virginia, Gaston's 20,300 surface acres of water and over 350 miles of shoreline span three N.C. counties.

The lake is popular with visitors during warmer months. Naturally, however, Kiss FM's article was off-putting to some. In response to the article, the Lake Gaston Association made a Facebook post to squash some rumors

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