Cast Away!
Where to bag the wily bass (and more).
Lake Fork (about 90 miles east of Dallas near Quitman; lakeforktexas.com/Pages/ramps.html; tpwd.state.tx.us). Trucks and trailers with Nebraska or Louisiana plates are a common sight at the boat ramp here, and the drivers—fishermen with knowing grins and huge Thermoses of coffee—arrive at five in the morning only to find people already lined up in front of them.
No other location in Texas can match Lake Fork's international reputation for black bass that exceed ten, twelve, and even fifteen pounds. In fact, Fork has produced 195 fish entered into ShareLunker, a joint venture among businesses, state government, and anglers that—with the aim of preserving and enhancing Texas' largemouth bass fisheries—allows anglers to lend largemouth bass weighing thirteen pounds or more to Texas Parks and Wildlife for spawning and research purposes. The closest contender is Sam Rayburn, with only 19 fish loaned to the program.
Today there seems to be a general feeling that Lake Fork's best days are behind it, that it simply attracts too many anglers, especially during the spring spawning season. That story about being able to walk across the lake from boat to boat without getting wet? Just an unconfirmed rumor. Two summers ago a bass-killing virus hit Fork hard. But the number of fish being caught so far this year is a good indicator that the lake has rebounded nicely. Still need a reason to go? Of the top 50 bass caught in the state since 1986, 34 came from Lake Fork, including the state record of 18.18 pounds in 1992.
International Amistad Reservoir (from Del Rio, head north on U.S. 90 for 3 miles; 830-775-7491; nps.gov/amis; tpwd.state.tx.us). Like everything else in Southwest Texas, this reservoir—which locals call Lake Amistad—has been hit hard by a drought. The water level is 49 feet low, but the fact that it has remained constant over the past year has helped stablize strong populations of white bass, stripers, and catfish. If the fishing gets too slow, check out the Indian pictographs on the cliff walls surrounding what might be Texas' most beautiful lake.
Lake Texoma (2 miles north of Denison on the Texas-Oklahoma border; from town, take U.S. 75A north to the dam or FM 120 west through Pottsboro; 903-786-9798; tpwd.state.tx.us). Lake Texoma has always been a dynamite striped-bass lake, and for good reason: It is one of the few reservoirs in the United States that has the salinity levels necessary for striper reproduction. When the spring weather starts warming the lake up to 65 degrees, the stripers turn on like A-Rod on payday.
Llano River (in the Hill Country between Llano and Junction, 915-446-3994; tpwd.state.tx.us). According to Joey Lin of the Austin Angler, an outfitter shop, the rainy spring should make for great fishing this summer. With its combination of beauty, access points, and excellent fishing, the Llano River is tough to beat. Float the river from the South Llano River State Park, five miles south of Junction, toward Telegraph or access the river from any one of several low-water crossings in between, fishing toward the bank with ultralight tackle or with fly rods. There are also many places to fish from the shore in this area, with access points everywhere that U.S. 377 crosses the river, plus some additional smaller crossings (such as Boone Crossing and Greene Crossing) off of 377. Guadalupe bass, Kentucky spotted bass, and northern largemouth bass patrol these waters, along with some monster catfish.
Sam Rayburn Reservoir (15 miles east of Lufkin, in East Texas; from town, take U.S. 69 east to Zavala, then Texas Highway 69 north to the lake; 409-384-5716; http://swf67.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/samray/; tpwd.state.tx.us). Texas' largest reservoir wholly within the state also produces some of its most reliable fishing. When the professional angling circuit winds through Texas, chances are strong the pros will be fishing at Big Sam, hooking black bass, crappie, and catfish alongside recreational anglers.
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