Best Texas State Parks for Fishing
Texas is home to over 100 great State Parks that are excellent for camping, hiking, biking, or just relaxing and enjoying nature. And here is a combination of our and Texas Parks & Wildlife’s list of the best Texas State Parks for fishing. What makes these parks some of the best Texas State Parks for fishing includes: boat ramps, fishing piers, stocked lakes, and fish cleaning stations. In addition, keep in mind that to help promote fishing, you don’t need a fishing license to fish from rivers and creeks, banks, or piers in Texas State Parks. You may be able to fish for free from a boat on lakes or ponds that are fully enclosed within a State Park. And a number of the Texas State Parks offer loaner fishing gear! There are over 70 Texas State Parks that offer free fishing.
Read Texas Outside’s Reviews to learn more about the lake or State Park, things to see and do, campsites, best places to fish, and more as well how we rate the lake or State Park on a 1 to 10 scale based on a number of different criteria.
Best Texas State Parks For Fishing |
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Lake Bob Sandlin State ParkPittsburg, Texas
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Lake Bob Sandlin is stocked with trout (over 125,000 in 2015) and white bass, channel catfish, crappie, and redear sunfish are plentiful. Check the Texas Parks & Wildlife website in mid-November to find out when the lake is stocked. Lake Bob Sandlin State Park has over 60 campsites, screened shelters, cottages, a boat ramp, fishing pier, and fish cleaning station. |
Lake Casa Blanca International State ParkLaredo, Texas |
Close to downtown Laredo, Lake Casa Blanca has several acres of shoreline along the 1680 acre Lake Casa Blanca. The lake is stocked with hybrid strippers, it’s not unusual to catch an 8 pound largemouth bass, and there are plenty of crappie and catfish along the dam, and carp just waiting for your bait. In addition to good fishing, Lake Casa Blanca has 66 campsites, a fishing pier, multi-lane boat ramp, day use areas along the shoreline, plus tennis, basketball, and baseball courts. |
Cooper Lake State Park Cooper, Texas |
Northeast of Dallas, Cooper Lake is home to white and hybrid stripped bass, largemouth bass, catfish and crappie. The “wall” at Heron Harbor is the place to go to catch crappie and below the dam is good for flathead catfish when water is released. In addition to fishing you can camp, picnic, swim, boat, water-ski, hike, bike, bird watch, study nature, stargaze, ride horses, or geocache. The Park has campsites, screened shelters, as well as screen shelters with air conditioning. |
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Lake Corpus Christi State ParkMathis, Texas
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Lake Corpus Christi is over 20,000 acres with lots of 5 pound largemouth bass and Lake Corpus Christi State Park has two lighted piers for fishing (great for crappie) – one of the piers is over 400 feet long and is wheelchair accessible. The river channel is where you’ll find plenty of flathead catfish. |
Eisenhower State ParkDenison, Texas
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The free flowing current of the Red River makes Lake Texoma (all 89,000 acres and 580 miles of shoreline) one of few lakes in Texas with a self sustaining population of striped bass – as such, Lake Texoma has a reputation as one of the best striped bass fishing lakes in Texas. The lake is also good for smallmouth bass and catfish – in fact, the world record 121 pound catfish was caught in 2004 at this state park. Eisenhower State Park is huge with over 450 acres and 5 camping areas plus day use areas. You’ll find two lit fishing piers, a boat ramp, playgrounds, bike and hike trails, swimming area and lots more. |
Fairfield Lake State ParkFairfield, Texas
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A 2350 acre local fishing hot spot thanks to the warm water created by the power plant which also means a longer fishing season. Two state record red drum (36 and 44 inches) were caught here and you can also hook catfish and largemouth bass. Fairfield State Park has 128 water and electric sites, excellent mountain biking trails, boat ramps, a fishing pier and fish cleaning station, volleyball, a swimming area, and more. |
Goose Island State ParkRockport, Texas
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At Goose Island State Park, you can catch fish off the 1620 foot long fishing pier, go wade fishing, or fishing off the shoreline, or from a boat. Fishing in the Gulf means a variety of fish some of which include: spotted seatrout, back and red drum, sheepshead, hardheads, or bull sharks. The State Park has several sites right on Aransas Bay plus bike and hike trails, a playground, a boat ramp, fish cleaning station, and more amenities for you to enjoy. |
Martin Creek Lake State ParkTatum, Texas
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A power plant means there is plenty of winter and early spring fishing for Largemouth bass; catfish are plentiful year round as are crappie; and kids will love catching the sunfish in late spring or summer. Martin Creek Lake State Park has 60 sites with water and electric (15 of which are waterfront), a 4 lane boat ramp, a fishing pier and cleaning station, hike and bike trails, canoe rentals, and lots of other amenities. |
Purtis Creek State ParkEustace, Texas
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Two fishing piers, an annual stocking of catfish that grow rapidly, largemouth bass, and channel catfish make fishing at Purtis Creek State Park worth the trip. This small State Park sits on 1582 acres, has 58 sites with water and electric (some great sites on the water) and 15 walk-in tent sites plus a bait store and lit fishing pier. |
Sheldon Lake State ParkHouston, Texas
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Located north east of Houston, Sheldon Lake State Park has fishing for catfish and crappie in a 3000 acre park, two ponds for catch and release for kids with adults, lots of wildlife, and plenty of alligators. No camping. |
Pictures and some of the text are from Texas Parks & Wildlife
Author: Mike Sharp
I have a passion for travel and outdoor activities, and now I'm enjoying retired life. I will continue my traveling, golfing, boating, and enjoying life all across the great state of Texas.
