Cooks Lake Fishing Guide, Houston County, Texas

• Overview

  Cooks Lake is a Houston County water, Texas side. Elevation runs to 331 feet. Small at around 6 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. The closest town, Crockett, is 5.3 miles distant. Hickory Creek follows at 8.4 miles, then Cooper at 12 miles. Within a short run: Frazier Lake 6 miles away, Allday Lake 6.4 miles, DryLake 6.6 miles away, Traylor Lake 6.9 miles and Bison Lake 8.1 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Cooks Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Nearby survey and observation records mention largemouth bass, bluegill, redfin pickerel and slough darter. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Read Cooks Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 83°F on average, January about 47°F. The awkward stretch is midsummer, not midwinter. October and November give a second good stretch as it cools. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Cooks Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Frazier Lake is 6 miles distant. Rules at Cooks Lake are worth checking on the day.