Ets Lake Fork Fishing Report (2024)

FAQs

What are the fish biting on at Lake Fork? ›

Lake Fork is still fairly slow. Best bite is Texas rigs and Viper XP Jigs. Best colors are green, pumpkin, gold flake Raptor Craw and Sour grape, and PB&J on jigs . 2-6 ft on wood or lay downs are best if near ditches and creeks.

A: Year-round fishing is available on Lake Fork, but some of the best times are between January and March and between October and November. Morning and late afternoon are the best times to try and land a trophy catch.

East Fork Lake offers quality fishing with excellent catches of largemouth and smallmouth bass and crappie, and fair catches of bluegill. For the sport angler, East Fork is stocked with hybrid striper. In 2022, the lake was stocked with Saugeye and Blue Catfish.

Spinnerbaits, plastic worms and lizards, jigs and lipless crankbaits are all popular lures during peak fishing in the spring (mid-February to April) when fishing is concentrated along the shoreline for spawning fish.

#3: Docks: Especially in areas of a lake lacking wood or grass cover, bass hang out around boat docks almost all the time, even spawning near them. Most anglers pick around the edges of docks and make the easy casts, leaving fish in the interior available to the more persistent angler.

The surface area of Lake Fork is normally 27,680 acres and has a maximum depth of 70 feet. The dam is over 12,400 feet in length.

The largest bass caught in Texas weighed 18.18 pounds and was caught by Barry St. Clair at Lake Fork in January 1992, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Anglers love catching this fish for its fighting ability and tendency to school together. White bass usually grow to a moderate size of around 10 to 15 in. in length and can weigh up to 3 lbs, although there have been rare cases where they weigh over 5 lbs, such as the record-breaking white bass caught in Lake Fork.

Year-round daily bag limit is 25 crappie in any combination.

What is the best time of day to catch fish? ›

The best time to go fishing is typically either early morning or late evening when food is abundant and fish naturally feed. Within an hour of sunrise and an hour after sunset are the times when fish are likely to bite the most. Fishing for some species of fish is much better at night than during the day.

Lake Fork's current regulation on largemouth bass is a 16″to 24″ slot limit. ( Bass over 16″ and less than 24″ must be returned to Lake Fork.) Only one bass per day 24 inches or greater may be retained.

General Information: The Lake Fork Gunnison River provides excellent trout fishing opportunity for brown and rainbow trout on this 29 mile section. Kokanee angling is also popular during their fall mi- gration in areas downstream of Red Bridge.

East Fork Lake was built in 1970 for the purpose of recreation and a primary water source for Olney. The lake covers 934 acres and has a water storage capacity of 5.5 billion gallons.

The park's Harsha Lake offers unlimited horsepower boating and is also an excellent lake for paddling, fishing, and swimming. Other amenities include a large scenic campground, picnic shelters, nature center, and a vast trail system for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and backpacking.

Choice of bait or lure depends really on the angler. “Right now is a good time to be using minnows.” If the minnow makes it all the way to the bottom without being hit, bring the bait up a foot or foot-and-a-half up off the bottom. “Tight line them…don't use a bobber or anything.