Gone Fishin’ for Father’s Day
Looking for something super fun to celebrate the super dad in your family on Father’s Day (June 21)? Go fish. Texas is full of hundreds of easily accessible lakes and other bodies of water stocked with thousands of fish. Here are a few hot spots to think about casting a net with Dad this summer.
Dallas/Fort Worth
Covering 8,000 acres, while Lake Grapevine may be considered one of the smaller lakes in North Texas (compared to Ray Roberts at 29,350 acres), its close proximity to DFW Airport and abundance of places for families to stay (Gaylord Texan Resort, Great Wolf Lodge) make it perfect for getting out and getting in some fishing.
According to Lakelubbers.com, “Due to drop offs and dramatic changes along the basin’s bottom, largemouth bass is particularly plentiful throughout, while the Twin Coves area is the best place to find catfish and crappie.”
Austin
When Steve Lightfoot, information specialist for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department in the Austin area, goes fishing with his kids, they drop a line in the Guadalupe River. “In the summer, hatchery-raised catfish are stocked in the river,” Lightfoot says. “You also can catch trout, bass, and sunfish.”
Houston-Galveston
Galveston Island State Park on the coast offers amazing opportunities for saltwater fishing. “On the beach-side, you can wade-fish in the surf or take the more leisurely approach and fish from the beach,” says Park Superintendent Trey Goodman. “What you might catch depends on time, tide, wind direction, and whether or not bait fish are present; however, the Texas Triumvirate — speckled trout, redfish, and flounder — can all be caught from the beach over the course of a year.”
In addition to the above, recreation centers across the state have smaller ponds where anglers can drop a quick line, and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department has a helpful list, map included here.
