Free-flowing current in
the Red River makes Lake Texoma one of the few lakes in Texas with a
self-sustaining population of striped bass, and one of only eight
inland freshwater reservoirs worldwide where this species has
spawned. A cousin of the white bass, striped bass were first stocked
in Lake Texoma by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
in 1965. They began spawning in 1974.
FISHING COVER/STRUCTURE
While Texoma has little aquatic vegetation, it does offer cover in
structures such as rocks/boulders, standing timber, submerged stump
beds, channels, rocky bluffs, sandy flats, and rip-rap along Denison
Dam and elsewhere. Of the 580 miles of shoreline, there are
approximately 9 miles of rip-rap, 50 miles of standing timber, and
50 miles of submersed aquatic vegetation. The remainder is cut
banks, sandy beaches, rocky shoreline, and bluffs. A shoreline
development ratio of 13.88 indicates an irregular and branched
shoreline, which also increases habitat for fish.
ACCESS/CAMPING
Fishing access, campgrounds, and other facilities can be found at
Eisenhower State Park, five other public parks, and a number of
private marinas and resorts.
MAPS
Available from local chambers of commerce, the Lake Texoma
Association, and most North Texas fishing tackle stores
Location: A Red River impoundment on the Texas-Oklahoma
border northwest of Sherman-Denison, west of US 75
Size: 89,000 acres
Maximum Depth: 100 feet
Date Impounded: 1944
Normal Water Clarity: Moderate to clear
Water Level Fluctuation: 5 to 8 feet annually
Conservation Pool Elevation: 619 ft. msl
Current Water Levels
Aquatic Vegetation: Not abundant, but there
are some stands of water willow, American lotus, floating heart, and
bushy pondweed