Best State Parks in Texas for Fishing

Thanks to its expansive size, dozens of freshwater lakes and shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico, Texas has more than 70 state parks that provide fishing opportunities. The state's family-friendly fishing policy waives the normal license or stamp requirements for adults and children fishing within a park's boundaries, although bag and length limits apply. Many parks loan out free rods, reels and tackle for up to seven days.

East Texas

• The main draw at Purtis Creek State Park in Eustace is the plentiful largemouth bass in the park's 355-acre lake, earning it the name of “Best Little Bass Fishing Lake in Texas." Fishing for catfish, crappie and sunfish typically is rated as good. Anglers don't have to worry about boat wakes or overfishing because the lake has a no-wake restriction and is limited to 50 boats at a time. The park has rental canoes, kayaks and paddleboats, and fishing is available from two lighted piers. Lake Livingston State Park, an hour northeast of Houston, features an abundance of large catfish and white bass on the 90,000-acre reservoir. Other available species include crappie, sunfish, striped/hybrid bass and largemouth bass. The park has three boat ramps and a fishing pier, with several marinas nearby.

North Texas

• Set on Lake Texoma, an 89,000-acre reservoir formed from the Red River near the Oklahoma border, Eisenhower State Park is relatively small at only 423 acres. But the park offers some big fishing action for several species of bass as well as catfish. The state-record blue catfish, a 121.5-pounder, was caught at the lake in 2004. The park has a lit fishing pier and a privately owned marina where anglers may rent pontoon boats. Lake Ray Roberts State Park has several units along the 25,600-acre reservoir formed from the Trinity River. The lake has excellent year-round fishing for largemouth bass, white bass and crappie as well as strong populations of catfish and sunfish. Two hot spots are the Isle du Bois unit's fishing pier and along the shoreline of the Johnson Branch unit.

West-Central Texas

• Lake Arrowhead State Park near Wichita Falls is known for its white crappie fishing, which heats up during the spring and fall off the state park's two fishing piers and floating docks. The lake also provides good-to-excellent hauls of white and largemouth bass, and large blue and flathead catfish of 40 or more pounds are not uncommon. At Lake Brownwood State Park, an hour southeast of Abilene, a wide variety of species are available in the 6,490-acre lake, which has many small coves, bays and creeks. Fishing for white bass, largemouth bass and catfish typically is good to excellent. Summer and early fall usually are the best times for white bass, and largemouth bass are most productive from September to May. Crappie, freshwater drum and sunfish also are available.

Gulf Coast

• Although the Corpus Christi area is known more for its nearby beaches, Lake Corpus Christi in the Neuces River watershed provides excellent year-round fishing for channel, blue and flathead catfish. Largemouth bass are most prevalent in spring, fall and winter, and white bass are abundant in the river channel in winter and in the main reservoir during summer. The park's lighted fishing pier is a hot spot for crappie. Mustang Island State Park in Port Aransas, with 5 miles of shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico and Corpus Christi Bay, provides numerous saltwater angling opportunities. Take a canoe or kayak along the park's paddling trail, which winds through some of the state's top shallow-water fishing spots. Cast a line from the Fish Pass jetties or directly in the surf for species such as redfish, drum, flounder, mackerel, jack, pompano and speckled trout.

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Bone Fishing in the Caribbean Andros Islands

Although tranquil Andros is one of the least visited of the Bahamas islands, it holds the unofficial title of “the bonefish capital of the world” because of the abundance of shallow mangrove swamps and mud flats around its coastline, which are the ideal habitat for bonefish. Outstandingly strong, fast and elusive, bonefish are a prized game catch for fly fishermen, and a dedicated stream of anglers makes the short flight to Andros from Fort Lauderdale or through neighboring Nassau, particularly in peak season during March and April, to pit their wits against the most coveted natural species in the largest island in the Bahamas.

Bonefish Basics

• Technically, Andros comprises three islands: North Andros, Mangrove Cay and South Andros, which are separated by a network of shallow bights and channels where bonefish congregate among the sea grass beds. Local fishing operators either wade into the mud flats or access these fishing grounds in small skiffs with a shallow draught and a foredeck large enough for the angler to cast a fly. The stealth of the bonefish makes it a prized catch; used to being hunted by barracuda, the silvery fish are extremely wary of the slightest vibration or movement, but once hooked, put up a legendary fight.

Local Wisdom

• Against such a fearsome opponent, anglers should use some local knowledge. A good starting point, the Andros Island Bonefish Club (androsbonefishing.com) sits on Cargill Creek at the eastern end of the Northern Bight, only yards from a popular bonefish habitat where large schools gather. As well as providing accommodations in the lodge, the club makes guided fishing trips to the bonefish grounds at Yellow Cay, Pretty Creek and Land of the Giants. Elsewhere, most of Andros accommodations are in small lodges and guest houses with a bonefishing connection, all of which can organize guided expeditions.

North Andros

• The average bonefish size on North Andros is in the 5- to 7-pound range, but 10-pounders and larger are common. The Joulter Cays present 20 miles of shallow flats, mangrove and deep water channels around the smaller cays. The North Andros Flyfishing Cottage (northandrosflyfishing.com) is just two minutes from the beach and a 10-minute ride from Lowe Sound, the entrance point to the Joulter Cays. Big Charlie’s Lodge (bigcharlieandros.net) is on Cargill Creek and has a wealth of information and tips on bonefishing, not least the reminder to cover up exposed limbs against biting doctor flies while out on the flats.

Mangrove Cay

• Mangrove Cay, the “central island,” covers hundreds of square miles of bonefish flats, where fish come to feed at the rising tide. Local guides, who quietly propel the skiff with a pole, are experts in spotting areas of muddied water or tails emerging from the water as hints of where to cast the fly. The north and south bights that separate Mangrove Cay from the adjoining islands are perfect breeding grounds for larger bonefish. Accommodations are available at Swain’s Cay Lodge (swainscaylodge.com)

South Andros

• Fishing on South Andros focuses on four different habitats: the tidal creeks on the eastern side, the less-explored west side where the bigger fish lurk, the hundreds of tiny cays off the island’s southern tip, and the inland creeks around the middle of the island. Approaches vary from wading the shallow flats to poling around the ocean-side flats where the larger bonefish feed. Schools in the remoter cays can number thousands.

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Fishing at New River State Park, North Carolina

The New River has two forks that snake from headwaters in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains before joining a few miles south of the Virginia state line. Designated a National Wild and Scenic River in 1976, the New River flows south to north through rugged mountain forests and remote valleys in the northwest corner of the Tar Heel State, much of it not easily accessible. One place to enjoy the peaceful, pristine waterway is New River State Park, which provides several access points to the river and a base for activities such as fishing, canoeing and camping.

About the River

• The New River's name actually is a misnomer, as it is estimated to be one of the oldest rivers in North America, existing for millions of years -- even before the mountain range through which it flows. The 26.5-mile North Carolina section of the waterway that is designated as a scenic river includes 22 miles of the South Fork and 4.5 miles of the main river until it reaches the Virginia state line. It then continues to wind north through southwest Virginia and into West Virginia. While in search of fish, anglers also might glimpse other forms of wildlife in the river or along its banks, such as white-tailed deer, beavers, river otters, raccoons, mink, muskrats, wild turkeys, wood ducks, red-tailed hawks and even an occasional black bear.

Fishing Access and Information

• New River State Park has four access areas in Ashe and Alleghany counties that provide entrance points to the park's more than 2,200 acres along the namesake river and its southern fork. The park's headquarters and visitor center are at the U.S. 221 access point at river mile 15 near Laurel Springs. Each of the four areas provides canoe access, as well as spots to fish along the riverbank. Three access points also have hiking trails. New River State Park is open year round, except Christmas Day, during daylight hours. Admission to the park is free, although fees are charged for camping. Anglers 16 years of age and older must purchase a resident or nonresident fishing license, available online from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

Fish Species

• The New River is a slow-moving river, making it fairly easy to fish from a canoe, but it also has a number of small, faster-flowing tributaries near each access point that are stocked with brown and rainbow trout. The river's South Fork typically has ample populations of redeye and smallmouth bass, and muskellunge often can be found on the river's South Fork, just downstream from the U.S. 221 bridge. Other targets include carp, flathead and channel catfish, sunfish and walleye.

Canoeing and Camping

• If you'd like to combine your fishing with a canoe and camping trip, three of New River State Park's access points have campgrounds. The U.S. 221 access area has a drive-in campground with 20 sites for tents, trailers or RVs. Each campsite includes electrical hookups, and 10 have full hookups. The U.S. 221 access point also has 15 primitive walk-in or canoe-in campsites. Both campgrounds provide nearby restrooms with hot showers. Primitive campgrounds also are available at the Wagoner Road access area, which has 10 walk-in or canoe-in sites with nearby restrooms and hot showers, and the Alleghany County access point, which has eight sites that can be reached by canoe only. The Alleghany campground has pit toilets and a water pump.

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Fishing on the Piers in Destin, Florida

The city of Destin's official seal reads, "World's Luckiest Fishing Village," and many anglers arrive every year to try their luck in the bountiful waters of Florida's Emerald Coast. For shore-bound anglers, these coastal waters are accessible from several fishing piers in the Destin area, where you can cast a line for redfish, bonito and a host of other game fish.

Piers

• The Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier is the closest pier to the city of Destin, extending more than 1,300 feet onto the Gulf of Mexico about four miles west of the Destin Bridge. The pier is open 24 hours a day during the fishing season, and daily from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. from mid-March through mid-October. Other piers in the area include the 1,500-foot Navarre Beach Pier, located about 30 minutes west of Destin and open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the Pensacola Beach Pier, a 1,470-foot-long fishing platform about an hour west of Destin that is open 24 hours a day, year-round.

Fish Species

• Whatever time of year you choose to visit, a wide range of fish is available from the Destin area's fishing piers. Winter visitors can catch flounder, bonito and redfish, while the summer months offer bluefish, king and Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and bonito, among others. You can also catch baitfish from the piers throughout summer and fall, and Pompano, cobia and sheepshead are available during the months of March and April. Of course, the diverse waters of the gulf often reward anglers with an unexpected catch, and tarpon, barracuda and sharks are not unheard of in the area.

Tips and Tactics

• Live bait is the offering of choice for many pier fishermen, with minnows, shrimp and peeler crabs among the more common live baits. A frequently-used bait rig involves two treble hooks on a light-gauge wire, which allows the bait to swim freely; you can also use a sinker to keep your offering near the bottom. A variety of artificial lures can also be effective -- pompano jigs with a white head and pink tail are a perennial favorite -- and most Destin-area piers have bait and tackle for sale and rods and reels available for rent.

Considerations

• The fee charged to fish from the piers varies depending on the specific pier and the season of your visit. Seasonal rates are often available, along with discounts for children and seniors. A Florida fishing license is not required to fish from any of the Destin-area piers, but all statewide fishing regulations, seasons and limits apply. You can find a complete guide to the state's angling regulations available on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website, and as a free printed pamphlet at most bait and tackle stores.

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