Lake Gonzales Offers Good Bass and Crappie Fishing

Drive about twelve miles west of Gonzales on US 90A and you reach Lake Gonzales, a 696-acre reservoir that's been here since the dam closed in 1931. Crappie is the fish to chase. The white crappie fishing runs excellent, and it really turns on in the fall. Largemouth bass hold up well too, and the catfishing covers all three of the usual suspects: blue, channel, and flathead.

The lake is open to the public, so you don't need to talk your way onto private water to wet a line. Conditions and access do shift, though, so give the TPWD District Fisheries Office a quick call at (361) 547-6222, ext. 241, and they'll tell you what the lake is doing before you hitch up the boat. Bring your current Texas fishing license. The crappie and bass limits are set statewide, and if you can plan around it, that fall crappie bite is the one to be there for.