Damn Good Lake Texoma Fishing Guides

Formed by damming the Red River, Lake Texoma is a world-class striper fishery on the Texas and Oklahoma border as the name would suggest. With a surface area of 74,000 acres, Lake Texoma is big and perfectly located only a short drive from both Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma City. The terrain in and around the lake varies a lot with everything from rocky deep drop-offs, to shallow creek inlets covered in vegetation.

The constant flow of water into the lake from the Red and Washita Rivers makes Lake Texoma one of the only self-sustaining freshwater striped bass fisheries in the US. The natural salinity of the Red River contributes to the success of the striped bass population. Striper fishing is good year-round, and you can see fish from 15 to 20 pounds and beyond. With schools of these large fish crushing topwater in the summer and suspended bait in the winter, the action is hot year-round.

The abundance of ideal habitat makes targeting largemouth easy and a great place to test different baits or techniques. These fish frequently hang out around docks, brush, vegetation, rock piles, and creeks where they hunt for food and hide from the summer heat. With so many places to hide the largemouth in Lake Texoma grow huge with a lake record of nearly 12 pounds. When the bite is on, hold your rod tight because these fish hit hard.

The catfish in Lake Texoma have been at the center of rumors in the past because of their size. Rumors aside this lake supports large and healthy catfish with the lake record blue catfish being a prime example weighing over 120 pounds. The three common catfish in this lake are flathead, channel, and blue catfish all of which are a blast to catch and make for a tasty meal.

The best way to target these fish is in deeper water near structures using smelly or cut bait dropped near the bottom. Catfish can be caught all over the lake from the back of coves to the middle of the channel. Chances are if you cast a baited hook anywhere on the lake and let it sit long enough you will catch a catfish.

Crappie are loved by many freshwater anglers for their big action on light tackle and phenomenal filets. Lake Texoma is lucky enough to have both the black crappie and the white crappie. These fish hunt around cover and shallow structure and can be caught using a variety of small jigs and artificial lures. Possibly one of the most enjoyable fish to catch, crappie can grow to just over a couple pounds, but with their feisty attitude, they fight more than you would expect.