Lake Buchanan
Lake Buchanan in central Texas can be fished year round for striped bass. Fishing guides and charter services can be hired at the lake. The lake has a 123 foot maximum depth and covers more than 22,000 acres. The record striper caught on Lake Buchanan was a 27.8-pound fish landed in 1990. The striper fishing is best between February and May when they are can be found around Beaver Creek and up the Colorado River. Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife stocks the lake with stripers because they do not naturally reproduce in the lake. All fish caught on Lake Buchanan are governed by state regulations for possession and length limits, which is a daily bag limit of five fish and a minimum length of 18 inches.
Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma lies near the Texas-Oklahoma state line. The lake covers more than 74,000 acres and reaches a maximum depth of 100 feet. Because part of this lake is in Oklahoma, anglers must have both Texas and Oklahoma state fishing licenses. The daily bag limit is 10 fish in any combination of striped and hybrid striped bass. Possession limit is 20 fish. There is no minimum length, but only two fish 20 inches or longer can be kept per day. The Red River provides a free-flowing current that makes Lake Texoma one of the better habitats for stripers in the state. While the lake is shared by both Texas and Oklahoma, it is the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation that oversees the striped bass stocking in the lake.
Lake Tawanoki
Lake Tawanoki, located in Van Zandt, Hunt and Rains counties, offers striped bass fishing. The lake covers more than 37,000 acres and has a maximum depth of 70 feet. The recommended method of landing stripers during spring and summer is with topwater baits, shad-bodied jigs and spoons. The Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife advises anglers to look for seagulls flocking above the water. They indicate schools of fish (potentially stripers) at the surface. The lake's record striper was caught in 2004 and tipped the scales at 22.4 pounds. Lake Tawanoki catches are regulated by the state standards. Striper daily bag limits are five fish and they must be a minimum of 18 inches in length.
Article Written By Eric Cedric
A former Alaskan of 20 years, Eric Cedric now resides in California. He's published in "Outside" and "Backpacker" and has written a book on life in small-town Alaska, "North by Southeast." Cedric was a professional mountain guide and backcountry expedition leader for 18 years. He worked in Russia, Iceland, Greece, Turkey and Belize. Cedric attended Syracuse University and is a private pilot.
