Top 5 Freshwater Fisheries to Check Out in Texas
Texas is well known for its trophy bass fishing. When talking about big largemouth bass, Texas will always be in the discussion. Out of all the really great lakes and reservoirs to fish, we have made a list of our top five favorite lakes that we think are really special.
Starting off with Falcon Reservoir in south Texas, it was impounded in 1954, and despite arguments on not being in its glory days anymore, it is still a premier spot for giant largemouth. With a surface area of 88,621 acres, there is a lot to be discovered. In recent years the water is slightly stained, and a lot of bass are being caught in hard bottom areas that are anywhere from 5-15 feet deep or on mid-lake rocky points. There’s still so many huge bass to be caught on this reservoir. Legendary fisherman and guide, Matt Reed, has caught over 150 ten plus pounders on this body of water. If that doesn’t inspire you to make a trip down south we don’t know what to tell you.
Next on the list is Lake Fork, which should come to no surprise. Some anglers consider this Lake the greatest of all time, and for good reason. This lake has continued to produce monster bass over the years and has been considered top tier for a long time now. With 27,00 surface acres, it’s a pretty big lake that presents many patterns of fishing. Creek bends, drop offs in creek channels, main lake points, standing timber, flooded grass and brush, laydowns, and grassy creeks and coves are some key areas to target when fishing on Fork. The water is fairly clear, especially in shallower areas, so natural colors would probably be best. Black and blue or junebug would also do well for fishing in deeper water.
Another awesome Texas fishery is Sam Rayburn Reservoir in East Texas. It’s the second biggest reservoir in Texas coming in at 114,500 acres. There is so much to uncover here. This lake is known to suit any angler’s preferred fishing style and techniques. You can sight fish, flip and pitch to cover, punch matts or use a frog in heavy vegetation, rip grass with a lipless crankbait, or get out in deeper water targeting offshore structure. This place really has it all and there’s some huge bass to be caught. The water clarity is usually lightly stained but varies on location and depth. This is personally my favorite place to fish because I can fish how I want and play to my strengths.
We can’t leave out Toledo Bend Reservoir when talking about some of the best places to fish in Texas, the biggest reservoir in the state, a whopping 186,00 acres on the border of Texas and Louisiana. Scott Martin referred to it being the “Rigley Field” of bass fishing, and we can’t agree more. Like Sam Rayburn, you can also almost always fish the way you prefer. Toledo Bend has a lot of epic history in competitive bass fishing, an absolutely legendary place to fish. Essentially, Toledo Bend is a flooded forest, having a lot of standing timber and offshore structure. This place is home to some monsters. In 2013-2014, over 60 ten plus pounders were recorded, over 80 in 2014-2015, and over 130 in 2015-2016. Kevin VanDam who has won a Bassmaster Elite tourney here once said it is, “the best big bass factory in the nation.” How can you argue with the G.O.A.T.?
Last on the list is a lake that has recently blown up in popularity because of the huge bass being produced there. O.H. Ivie Lake has recently shocked us all with its monster bass being recorded in just the last year or so. East of San Angelo, O.H. Ivie is only 19,200 acres, but it certainly packs a punch. Even though it’s the smallest body of water on our list it’s causing the most commotion in the community. So far in 2024, O.H. Ivie has produced over 30 bass breaking the 10 pound mark, with a dozen of them being over 13 pounds. The biggest fish recorded so far this year was a monstrous 15.82. Wow. That’s impressive.
Hopefully you can go out on one of these lakes this year and catch a giant on a Banjo Minnow. It is certainly possible. Best of luck. Banjo on!
