Cross Lake Fishing in Cameron County, Texas

• Overview

  The Cameron County entry here is Cross Lake, in Texas. Salt water lies 11 miles off. It is low-lying compared with other Texas water we list. Head to Laureles, 4.1 miles away, for anything you forgot. For a city, Brownsville is 19 miles off. Within a short drive: Sweeney Lake some 1.2 miles off, Resaca de los Fresnos at 2.5 miles, Mercer Reservoir 2 some 2.7 miles off, El Preseno Lake at 3 miles and Cuates Lake some 3.3 miles off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Cross Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Records collected within a few miles name gizzard shad, common carp, flathead grey mullet, blue tilapia and channel catfish. Local agencies keep the authoritative list for each water. Fish Cross Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 84°F in August and bottom out at 58°F in January. Cold never shuts this water down; heat is the only limit. Season rules are a separate question. The first and last hours carry the summer; the middle is slow. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. Plan any trip to Cross Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Sweeney Lake, 1.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Cross Lake carry more weight than any list.