Bert Swope
Texas is known for its 3000+ miles of coastline, but its thousands of public lakes and reservoirs are also great places to fish. Whether you’re looking for big bass, catfish or other species, there’s a place for you in this state.
Largemouth bass are the most popular sportfish in Texas, but anglers also catch channel catfish, blue bass and flathead catfish. Some of these lakes also offer camping and boating access, so they’re good year-round destinations for fishing trips with family or friends.
Caddo Lake
If you’re looking for the perfect place to fish in Texas, you won’t want to miss Caddo Lake. It is known as one of the most beautiful and scenic lakes in the state. It is home to one of the largest flooded cypress forests in the world and has an impressive number of wildlife.
The lake is a huge wetland and is home to many migratory birds, including some that are rare or endangered under international laws. There is also a large variety of plants and animals living in the lake, including alligators, snapping turtles, beavers, and ospreys.
When it comes to the fish, Caddo Lake is known for its big spring bass. This species is a great catch, especially in the springtime when the water warms up.
You can catch them using a wide variety of lures and techniques. A-rigs, flukes, spinnerbaits, topwaters, lipless crankbaits and even a jig are all effective ways to catch these fish.
Another fish that is commonly caught on the lake is bluegills. These are small fish that thrive in slow-moving bodies of water. They are a popular food source for the bass and also a good way to fill the bait tank on your boat.
If you’re new to bass fishing, chartering a guide is always a good idea. A guide will teach you how to find the best spots and present your baits to fish more effectively. A guide will also teach you how to make accurate casts.
Lake Fork
The Lake Fork Reservoir is a beautiful 27,000-acre lake that is home to many great fish. Located in Wood, Hopkins and Rains counties in Texas, the lake draws thousands of anglers from all over the country each year. The lake is home to a variety of different species including largemouth bass, white bass, channel catfish and crappie.
The largest of these species is the largemouth bass, which can reach sizes in excess of 10 pounds. This bass is a prized catch for many anglers and is why the lake has a reputation as one of the top trophy bass fishing lakes in the country.
This popular sport fish is caught year-round, though the spring is considered to be the best time of the year for this particular species. This is due to the abundance of vegetation in the lake which hold large amounts of food for these fish.
In addition to largemouth bass, Lake Fork also has a very healthy population of bluegill and sunfish which are fun and easy to catch. These panfish can be caught throughout the year but the most productive time for these fish is during the spring and summer.
A combination of restrictive harvest regulations, stocking of Florida strain largemouth bass and abundant habitat has contributed to the development of Lake Fork as a premier trophy bass lake. More than 65% of the Texas Top 50 biggest bass (including the current state record) and more than half of those entered in the Toyota ShareLunker program have been caught from this lake.
During the pre-spawn, bass tend to stay close to their beds in the shallow areas of the lake. This is the ideal time of year to target these fish with lures such as lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Jigs and Viper XP Jigs are also popular at this time of year.
These jigs can be rigged with a wide range of baits such as live worms, crawfish imitations or creature baits. These jigs are great for flipping over timber, but also work well in the weedbeds where bass can be found.
Lake Buchanan
Lake Buchanan is the second largest of the Highland Lakes and it’s a beautiful place to spend time. Located in Burnet and Llano counties, the lake is 22,333 acres with 124 miles of shoreline. It has a maximum depth of 132 feet and it is fed by the Colorado River.
It is stocked with a variety of fish species and anglers love to fish the lake for largemouth bass, striped bass, white bass, catfish, and crappie. If you’re planning to fish the lake, it is advisable to hire a guide who can show you the best fishing locations on the lake.
The best time to fish the lake is during the spring and fall. The lake’s stained waters keep the largemouth bass shallow, making them easier to catch with topwater lures, metal flake willow leaf spinnerbaits and crankbaits.
You can also use jigs or plastic worms in the lower section of the lake when the water is clear. The lake is stocked with healthy populations of native largemouth, Florida largemouth and Guadalupe bass.
When you’re ready to get out on the lake, there are several good boat ramps around the area. One of the most convenient is Cedar Point Recreation Area, a LCRA operated boat ramp with 400 acres and an overnight campground.
You can also stay at Canyon of the Eagles Resort, a nature resort that offers a glistening swimming pool. It is also home to a series of cabins that are spread out and make for a serene retreat under the tall oak trees.
Lake Conroe
Lake Conroe is a great place to fish because it has a variety of fish species. Some of the most popular ones are Largemouth Bass, White and Hybrid Striped Bass, Catfish, Bluegill, Bream & Crappie.
When it comes to catching these fish, you’ll want to target the shallow areas and shoreline in spring and fall. These times are especially great for Bass.
Aside from Bass, you’ll also find Crappie and Sunfish. Sunfish are found in warmer waters and have laterally compressed bodies that can be green, gray, or olive colored.
You can catch these fish by presenting them with live or cut bait. You can use a cork or float to keep your bait in the strike zone.
Besides shad, you can also try targeting flathead catfish in Lake Conroe. These fish can be found in shallower water where they have plenty of cover and can feed on a variety of prey items.
These fish can be difficult to spot due to their size, but they can be a blast to fight. They have barbs on their dorsal and pectoral fins, which they use to poke at predators or humans that may have disturbed them.
You can find these fish in the upper end of Lake Conroe and along Baker Bridge, which carries Route 1375 across the lake. You can also catch them by casting around floating boat docks at marinas.
Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma is one of the most popular fishing destinations in Texas and the country. Located near the border of Oklahoma and Texas, it’s home to a variety of game fish species that attract millions of anglers each year.
Striped bass, black bass, and smallmouth bass are all present at Lake Texoma. The best time to target these popular game fish is during the summer topwater bite.
While striped bass can be caught year-round, they are most active in the summer, when they have finished spawning and move into the lake to feed. They are vulnerable to angling during this time and can be caught on a number of different lures including small surface baits, silver spoons, slabs and minnows.
White bass, also known as sand bass, are another species that are often targeted by anglers. These fish spawn around the mouths of tributary streams in early spring and can be caught by casting to them from the bank.
They are very aggressive and tend to fight harder than other bass species, so they can be a fun and challenging fish to catch. They are most often caught on live bait, such as worms or threadfin shad.
Channel catfish and blue catfish are other common game fish found at Lake Texoma. These fish can be big and impressive, with the state record blue catfish weighing 121.5 pounds being caught here in 2004.
Lake O the Pines
A stunningly beautiful lake, surrounded by huge pine trees that tower into the sky, Lake O the Pines is a must-see in East Texas. This 18,680-acre reservoir is a popular spot for fishing, hunting and relaxing.
A massive lake with a lot of aquatic vegetation, Lake O’ The Pines is home to multiple fish species, including largemouth bass, catfish, white bass, crappie and sunfish. It also provides boat rentals, boat ramps and access to parks and marinas on the water.
The best time to fish is during the early morning or evening hours. The lake is best fished with a live bait such as a crawfish or minnow.
During the spring and summer, Lake O’ The Pines is a great place to fish for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Many anglers use crankbaits and topwaters to target these fish.
Crappie spawn at Lake O’ The Pines during the first part of May when they migrate from shallow water to brush piles in the main lake. These piles often have 100+ crappie in them.
This is a good time to fish weedless jigs or soft stickbaits in the thick brush and tangled tree covers. In spring, oversized worms are also a good bet.
Lake Whitney, a 23,500-acre reservoir near Waco and Fort Worth, is another popular lake with good fishing for bass. It has numerous public access areas and ramps, including several Corps of Engineers parks.
Toledo Bend
Toledo Bend Reservoir straddles the border between Texas and Louisiana, creating a massive 185,000 acre lake that’s home to many of the state’s best fisheries. It’s the largest man-made lake in the South and has been repeatedly ranked by Bassmaster Magazine as one of America’s top sports fishing destinations.
While Toledo Bend is known for its world-class largemouth bass, it’s also a great place to catch crappie and catfish. During the spring and summer, they’re often found in the deepest creek channels, where shiners and jigs work well.
In the fall, they’re moving into deeper areas along the main river channel. They’ll be found in depths ranging from ten to fifteen feet deep.
There are plenty of boat ramps on Toledo Bend, but some of the best places to fish include North Toledo Bend State Park, which offers a fishing pier and bank access. The area is also home to campgrounds and boat launch facilities.
Aside from largemouth bass, Toledo Bend is also famous for its trophy catfish. The upper end of the lake, with grassy islands and braided channels and sloughs, is especially favored by catfish.
For more information on fishing at Toledo Bend, including a full list of tournaments and special events, visit the Toledo Bend website. The Big Bass Splash tournament, for example, is a popular event that attracts professional anglers and amateurs alike. The yearly tournament has $440,000 in prize money given away over three days.
Devils River
The Devils River is one of the most unspoiled rivers in Texas and has some of the best fishing in the state. This is due to the fact that it is spring fed and flows over solid limestone rock, which provides clean water.
The river is also home to a wide variety of fish, including small mouth bass, largemouth bass, catfish and carp. The water is cool and clear which helps attract these species.
This makes the Devils River a great place to catch these types of fish and is especially popular during the summer when the waters get hot and the temperatures rise. It is also a good option for anglers who are looking to go on a multi-day float trip and get to experience the natural beauty of the area.
If you are planning on catching smallmouth bass in the Devils River, it is important to know that these fish are often hiding under and around rock piles and drop-offs created by giant slabs of rock. This makes fishing in this area with large flies like Clouser Minnows a great way to catch these fish.
Another good way to catch these fish is by throwing a crawfish pattern and then dragging it through the rocks. You will have a lot of success if you throw this pattern in the rapids under the waterfalls.
As the weather warms up, these fish will move away from the rocky shelves and into deeper water where they will be more difficult to catch. This is why it is important to be prepared for the weather to change and that you use the correct flies.
To get the most out of your trip, you should plan on going in the early spring or fall when the weather is pleasant and you can float for 4 days and 3 nights. It is best to make sure you are accompanied by a Texas Parks and Wildlife Approved Outfitter, because they will be able to show you the right areas to fish and help you understand all of the rules and regulations that are in place.
