The Best Toledo Bend Fishing Spots - Texas

Finding the best Toledo Bend fishing spots is the key to having a great day's fishing. Once you know where all the hot-spots are your success of catching fish will greatly improve, thus making your day so much more enjoyable.

What Is Toledo Bend?

Toledo Bend Reservoir is located on the Sabine River between Texas and Louisiana.

Toledo bend is ranked as my 8th best bass lake in the whole of the US. It's a brilliant lake.

The lake is a paradise for every fisher. It has a lot to offer. Other than an unforgettable freshwater fishing experience, it’s a great place for hunting, water skiing, hiking, birding, camping, and going out with friends or family in this calming nature for a picnic. Anglers will also be excited to know toledo bend fishing spots are some of the best in Texas and provide an amazing day fishing with family and friends.

Let’s go into more detail about Toledo Bend Fishery.

You’ll enjoy the Toledo Bend fishing adventure no matter your level of experience in fishing since there is a space for everyone.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced fisher, Toledo Bend Reservoir, the largest man-made reservoir in the South of the United States, awaits you!

Interesting Facts About Toledo Bend

• Toledo Bend Reservoir is the largest man-made reservoir in Texas and Louisiana, covering an area of 749 km2/185,000 acres.
• It has industrial, agricultural, municipal, and recreational applications.
• It’s also the 5th largest body of water in the United States by surface area.
• Toledo Bend shoreline length goes up to 2,030 km/1264 miles.
• It has a length of 104.6 km/65 miles and a width of 16 km/10 miles.
• The maximum depth of the lake is 34 m/112 foot.
• It took about 6 years to build Toledo Bend Reservoir during 1964-1969. It cost Texas and Louisiana 70 million dollars.
• Some believe that the name originates from the bend in the Rio Tagus of Toledo in Spain. And it was brought by the Spanish who were sent to Sabine River for some missions.
• Toledo Bend Reservoir has many alligators, but they usually keep to themselves and are hard to find.

Toledo Bend Fish

Let’s take a closer look at the fish species that can be found in Toledo Bend.

Toledo Bend Reservoir abounds with a variety of fish species. There are Largemouth bass, White bass, Striped bass, Bluegill, Flathead catfish, Channel catfish, Blue catfish, Redear sunfish, crappie, bream, and others.

• The most popular fish here is the largemouth black bass.
• Toledo Bend Reservoir was nominated as the number one Bass lake twice in 2015-2016 and 2016-2017.
• The largemouth bass record of Toledo Bend is 7 kg/15.3 pounds.
• In 1 year, 136 lunkers, which are big bass over 4.5 kg/10 pounds, were caught.

Toledo Bend Fishing Hot Spots

Now, let’s dive into the best fishing spots on Toledo Bend.

It’s always easier and more enjoyable to fish when you know the best toledo bend fishing spots, especially if you are an amateur fisherman without a lot of experience to hit the jackpot blindfolded.

• Housen Bay: it’s located on the west side of Hurricane Creek, which diverges from the Housen North bank. Housen bay is the perfect area with lots of grass where you can catch massive fish. It’s a prime pre-spawn and spawn spot, which makes it easier to find them. Spawn areas make it simple for you to locate fish even if the water is not see-through.
• Indian Creek: this is the perfect spot to catch a 2-digit lunker. It’s on the southwest part of the lake. There is a plethora of hay grass, hydrilla, and milfoil, but it lacks wood. The water is clear, and you can simply see through it. Indian Creek is also an ideal place for fish to spawn between hay and the lake bank.
• 1215: It’s placed between San Patricio and San Miguel creeks. The title comes from the highway name, which was once situated here before the reservoir was built. It has an abundance of creeks and drains. This strategic place has lots of bushes and willow trees. 1215 is rarely clear, so it’s almost always impossible to look through. Just like the listed creeks, 1215 is an ideal habitat for sprawling. For this exact reason, a plethora of fish can be found here. Fish stay longer after spawning ends in this area, giving us more opportunities to catch them.
• Negreet Creek: this creek is situated on the Louisiana side of the reservoir. More precisely, it’s in the south of the Pendleton Bridge. The water isn’t very clear to look through it, but Negreet Creek is an extremely strategic place. Fish usually spawn on boat docks, cypress trees, bushes. There are many cypress trees but very few bushes, though.
• Rocks and ledges attract fishes, so it is tactical to search for them in these areas. For instance, rocks and ledges could be found in Submerged Culvert, Point.
• Some of the famous spots are Old Pond, Good Hole, Tiger Lake Slough, Browns Spot.

Every advanced fisher has their secret hot spots for finding trophy-sized fish. But if you’re a beginner, don’t worry; thorough research will give you a strong start to accomplish your fishing goals.

Toledo Bend Map and Navigation

Planning a Toledo Bend fishing trip is not that hard. Once you have found the best toledo bend fishing spots You need enough information to feel confident on your boat.

To relax and not concern yourself with navigating the boat, I would suggest using a map. When it comes to navigation maps, my go-to map is BoatLanes. It’s a reliable navigation assistant which always chooses the safest and most practical fishing routes for you.

Using BoatLanes maximizes my enjoyment and lets me fish without worrying about navigating unknown or less known strategic places.

Causing damage to your bass fishing boat can be dangerous as well as costly!

Toledo Bend Fishing Tips

Here are some tips to help you be confident and strategic while fishing:

• Time of the day: fish are predators that eat at any time of the day whenever they see a wanted target. Depending on the time and the position of the sun, you can easily detect their location. Fish are cold-blooded creatures, and that’s why they prefer a cool temperature over a warm one. At night they can be found anywhere but, in the afternoon, look for places with shadows or just colder environments. The area under a bridge is very tactical for this matter.
• Weather: location and activity of fish heavily depend on the weather. Rainy days are one of the best for fishing. Rain cools the water surface, making it pleasant for fish to swim around more actively.
• Season: The best season for fishing (especially bass fishing in Toledo Bend) is the spring. Also, winter and fall are very practical. The cooler the air, the easier it is to catch a massive bass.
• Catching Crappie: the best place to catch crappie in spring is a grass line that is close to deep water in creek inlets and coves.
• Baits: Some of the best baits for fish in Toledo Bend Reservoir are minnows and small spinnerbaits. I always have great success when fishing a Texas Rig.
• Guides: professional fishing guides will help you make the most of your adventure to Toledo Bend. They will assist you in every way. You will learn lots of tricks and strategies from them, especially if you’re a beginner.

Ready To Go?

If you’re planning a relaxing and refreshing holiday, Toledo Bend Fishing is for YOU!

You’ll regain your energy after a tiring week. Make unforgettable memories with your friends and family, or enjoy the peaceful solitude.

In order to relish your vacation to its fullest, you need to be well prepared. Make sure to read all the Hot Spots to have a strong start and definitely use a map to navigate the lake swiftly and strategically.

Remember your map to keep safe and protect your boat!

I wish you a joyful and adventurous trip to Toledo Bend 🙂