Bois d'Arc Lake Is Texas's Newest Major Reservoir

When Bois d'Arc Lake opened in April 2024, Texas got its first major new reservoir in more than 30 years. The 16,641-acre lake is on Bois d'Arc Creek in Fannin County, but its fishing story began years before the public launch.

TPWD started stocking minnows and sunfish in construction ponds in 2018. By its May 2024 report, the agency had added 373,859 Florida largemouth bass descended from fish weighing at least 13 pounds. Gravel beds, aquatic plants, standing timber, and more than 40 large brush piles gave those fish places to grow.

The lake currently has a 16-inch maximum length limit for largemouth bass. Its three public access areas have free, year-round boat ramps, but the timber west of the FM 897 bridge makes studying the access and habitat maps a wise first step.