Lake Tawakoni borders Van Zandt County and offers year-round fishing

Drive about fifty miles east of Dallas and you hit Lake Tawakoni, sitting right where Van Zandt, Hunt, and Rains counties run together. A good stretch of the southern shore is Van Zandt water, and folks come for the bass, catfish, and crappie. The boat ramps don't get a slow season.

Bring a valid Texas fishing license and you're set to drop a line, since Parks and Wildlife wants one from most adults. The size limits, daily bag limits, and which seasons are open get shuffled around from one year to the next, so what filled your cooler last spring won't always still be the rule. Pull up the current Outdoor Annual before you head out instead of trusting your memory.

TPWD also keeps the Tawakoni Wildlife Management Area along the lake on the Van Zandt side, so a morning of fishing can roll into wildlife watching or a walk on public ground without leaving the county. The Outdoor Annual spells out the exact limits for these three counties, ramp to ramp.