When is the best time to Striper fish Lake Texoma? It is surprising how many Texas fishermen don’t realize that just a short 90-minute drive from Dallas/Ft. Worth airport is some of the best World Class striped bass fishing in the world. That 90-minute drive will get you to non-other than the striped bass capital of the world, Lake Texoma. The premier striper destination of all searching for trophy striper. If tournament fishing is your thing, there are over 50 tournaments yearly on lake Texoma. Regardless of the fish, you are after. Lake Texoma has them in abundance. Let’s look at how to fish Lake Texoma and what makes it unique.

How Big is Lake Texoma?

Lake Texoma spans the borders of Oklahoma and Texas. With 580 miles of shoreline, it is the 12th largest Corps of Engineers Lake in the United States. It is 110 feet at its deepest and spans 93,000 acres. There are two state parks on Lake Texoma; Lake Texoma State Park and Eisenhower State Park. There are 54 Corps-managed parks, with Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge on the north end of the lake and Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge on the south end. All this and more is straight up I-75 from Dallas, a short hour and a half drive, and you are on some of the best fishing water in Texas or Oklahoma. 

Getting On Lake Texoma 

With over 600 boat slips or ramps on Texoma, we could talk about places to launch your boat all day. Instead, we will discuss a few of the more popular marinas: 

* Mill Creek Resort and Marina  

One of Texoma’s most beautiful and protected marinas, It is close to “the islands” and has some of the best fishing on the lake. Lodging, boat slips, boat rentals, and restaurants are all available at Mill Creek. Fishing guides like Striper Express are based here, and you can have your limit of 10 stripers in a half day. A limit not equaled on any other lake in Texas. 

* Lighthouse Resort and Marina

The Lighthouse Marina has covered boat slips, pontoon and kayak rentals, food, and snacks available. Go north on highway 289 from Pottsboro, Texas, and you will see a lighthouse at the marina’s entrance. Plenty of camping is available if you want to spend the night. 

*Grandpappy Point Marina

A top-of-the-line and full-service marina, it has been voted, Best Marina” by the Marina Association of Texas. Full-service boat repair and parts are available, as well as an RV park, fuel dock, and restaurant. The Point Restaurant and Club overlooks the lake; you cannot beat the view. 

*Texoma Marina and Resort

This marina has everything from boat slips, trailer storage and dry boat storage. Anglers will find camping, cabin rentals, and cabin sales. You cannot beat Texoma Marina. While there, check out the ship store or enjoy swimming off well-kept sandy beaches. 

*Catfish Bay Marina

Located up the Washita River arm, you will find Catfish Bay Marina. It is a full-service marina with boat slips, boat rentals, and fuel. There is a convenience store, and several fishing guides launch from Catfish Bay. If you’re staying the weekend, Catfish Bay is close to lodging. If you like what you see, there are plenty of vacation homes for sale nearby.  

*Eisenhower Yacht Club and Marina

The closest marina to the Dam has something for everyone. This privately owned marina has almost every type of watercraft for rent. From kayaks to paddleboards, you will find it here. Of course, there is plenty of room for sailboats, and you can spend the night in one of the dockominiums right next to the slip. 

*Highport Marina

Highport has yacht sales, boat rentals, and anything in between. If you are done fishing for the day and want to sit on the deck and enjoy the view before you head home, you should check out Bay at the Lake or The Island Bar and Grill for a great meal.  

Fishing Lake Texoma 

The Red River is the border between southern Oklahoma and northern Texas and forms Lake Texoma. The Red River is a saltwater river, with 3,450 tons of salt running through it daily. The saltiness of Texoma makes for the perfect freshwater home for striped bass, usually a saltwater fish. So much so that it is the only lake in Texas with a self-sustaining striper population. Known as the striped bass capital of the world, if you plan to fish lake Texoma, you must fish for striped bass.  

For much of the year, striper travel in schools and attack baitfish like threadfin shad. They are often found in open water, hitting baitfish that they have flushed to the surface. Because of this, it is not easy to catch striped bass from the shore. You have much better luck from a boat.  

You will need heavy bass gear. It is not uncommon to land 10 to 15-pound fish; occasionally, you will have one around 20 pounds. The lake record is over 35 pounds. Be prepared; even a 10-pound striper will fight to the boat. It is exhilarating, but light tackle only works for a short time on Striped Bass.   

There is nothing quite like catching Striper on top water. Guides like Bill and Chris Carey of Striper Express fish striper exclusively with artificial bait. They often fish early mornings with the top water baits like Zara Super Spooks, Berkley Choppo, and their favorite, the Cotton Cordell Pencil Popper.  Chris and Bill think every day is the best time to Striper fish Lake Texoma.

Spring Striper on Lake Texoma 

The spring months of March, April, and May are some of the most popular months for fishing on Lake Texoma. The water temperature begins to warm, and fish start to school. In late April, the topwater action heats up too. In the early mornings, shad are shallow, and Striper are not far behind. Try throwing a six-inch Pencil Popper toward the bank. The early morning striper has a large strike zone, so if your plug is close to shad in any way, you’re in a striper’s strike zone. When the topwater bite slows, use your electronics to locate the prowling schools of Striper. Try dropping slab spoons or jigs vertically until you find the proper depth. When you find a school of Striper in a feeding frenzy, you will know it. 

Summer-Best Time To Striper Fish Lake Texoma

Stripers have finished spawning by June and leave the rivers in favor of the main lake. Summer is the best time to Striper fish Lake Texoma.  Thousands of schools of Striper are starving and begin foraging the lake for shad. In mid-June, you will see large areas of the lake churning like it’s in a blender. You can see the churning from a long way off. The churning is caused by baitfish driven to the surface by a striper. They surface to escape, and the fishing in the churn is supernatural. Try throwing your favorite 6-inch top water plug and hold on. As the topwater bite slows and the water stops churning, you can still follow the school as it moves deeper. Drop your topwater rod for a slab rig and keep fishing. Ten-pound fish can be expected, so keep a tight grip on your rod. 

Lake Texoma Fall Striper Fishing

Fall and Spring fishing are the two most popular months for striper fishing on Texoma. Temperatures begin cool in September and continue to cool through mid-November. This time of year, fishermen find a way to get on the water. Fall fishermen enjoy the cooler weather and know they can catch a lot of fish in a short amount of time. Stripers begin moving from the deeper water to shallow water in the fall. Try bouncing a jig or slab off the bottom as they move in. As the baitfish move shallow in October, the stripers are behind them. It’s easier to find the churn in the fall, as migrating seagulls will circle the water above the churn. As they say on Lake Texoma, “find the birds, and you will find the fish.” When you see the birds and the churn this time of year, you can fish either topwater or with slabs. You can count on this pattern through mid-December. 

Lake Texoma Winter Striper Fishing

In the winter months, big-game hunters search for a trophy deer. Winter months are no different for striper fishermen.  The best time to Striper fishing Lake Texoma for trophies is all winter long.  The winter is when the big Striper find the net with the best Lake Texoma Fishing Guides. This time of year, schools break up into smaller groups, and larger stripers become outlaws. Now is the time to fish structure for big Striper. Look for structure where deep water meets creeks, points on the main lake, and any ditch or hump you can find. A long Roadrunner jig with a 9-inch white worm trailer works well. Be patient and make multiple casts, as a single tree can hold five large fish. Winter months are when the big 20-pounders are caught. 

White Bass Fishing on Lake Texoma

Stripers are just one type of bass you will find in Texoma. Sand Bass, otherwise known as white bass, will stage around the mouths of tributary streams a couple of weeks before spring migration. The spawn happens when the water temperature is between 54 to 68 degrees, generally in early spring. When you catch one, get ready to fill the boat. The rest of the year, they feed much like Striper. The water will churn, and birds swarm when it does throw anything shiny. A spoon or minnow-type lure works best.  

Largemouth-Spotted-Smallmouth Bass Fishing on Lake Texoma 

Largemouth spotted, and smallmouth bass is often overlooked by anglers searching for a 20-pound striper, but they are found lake wide. Florida largemouth has been stocked in Texoma and can be found in good numbers. Texoma is a deep lake with little vegetation, so you will want to look for structure. Try fishing the Washita arm of the lake in the spring. Look for rocky banks and drop-offs and throw a jerk bait. The Strike King KVD jerk bait works well when fished erratically. If you are fishing the spawn, look for beds near creek banks and throw a Rage Swimmeror 3/8 Oz Strike King finesse jig. Smallmouth can always be found around the bluffs near Willow Springs, Washita River, Denison Dam, and Eisenhower State Park. 

In the summer, try crankbaits off the rocky shores surrounding much of the main lake. Largemouth and spotted bass are often found here. You can also buzz them by ledges off the main channel. Creek channels can be good with a Texas rig early in the morning. Remember, Texoma has 50 miles of standing timber, so you have a target-rich environment. You should back off and use your spinner bait as the sun rises. Keep your spinner bait handy as you get back to the dock. There are 9 miles of rip rap to work on Lake Texoma. 

The fall and winter are great in areas near creeks, especially creeks with giant boulders at the mouth. The creeks near the Washita end of the lake have less traffic and produce well in the winter. Try throwing a Ned rig with a Z Man Shroomzand Z Man Finesse TRD. Work it near the boulder and work your way back with it—especially where the water around it is three to 5 feet deep. Work your way up the rocky creek banks for good action as well. This time of year, the Ned rig also works well around marinas and boat docks.  

 Bank Fishing Lake Texoma

Unlike fishing for Striper, you can fish for largemouth, spotted, and smallmouth bass from the banks. Most marinas have long rip rap protection reaching out into the coves. Fish will hold here and can be caught most any time of year. The state parks have plenty of good fishing from the banks and little traffic early in the morning. If you are fishing from the bank, don’t hesitate to fish for catfish. The channel and blue catfishing are excellent across the lake. The state parks are a great place to set in a lawn chair and put catfish on the stringer.   

 Lake Texoma Weather

Lake Texoma is a big lake; if the weather is sketchy, use caution when getting out of the coves and running down the lake. Many fishermen roll the dice with a small boat and lousy weather and get in over their heads. With that said, many of the docks and marina’s have great fishing close by, so much, so that kayak fishermen are having great luck working down rocky banks and up the creeks. Kayaks can be practical during the annual winter drawdown. Many boats cannot get back into the creeks, and a kayak works excellently. 

 Fishing Your Bucket List Lake  

 Regardless of what you are fishing for, Lake Texoma has it. It is not uncommon to fish a cove and put ten keepers of Striper in the boat by 9 o’clock. Then catch and release ten largemouth bass in the creek feeding the cove by 2 o’clock. Just for kicks, on the way back to the dock, find a school of white bass churning the open water and catch fish until your arms get tired. At the end of the day, start a fire on the shoreline and put a few catfish in the cooler just because you can. Texoma is just that kind of lake! The best time to Striper Fish Lake Texoma is whenever you make the time. Thanks for reading our blog post, and book a trip with the best Lake Texoma Fishing Guides at Striper Express today.