Cutoff Slough in Ellis County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Ellis County end of Texas holds Cutoff Slough. Around the bank it is dry hill. Small at around 9 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Ennis at 11 miles is the nearest place to stop. After that come Palmer at 12 miles and Combine at 12 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking. Nothing about the approach is difficult in dry weather.

• Where to Fish on Cutoff Slough

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Documented catches and surveys in the area cover blue catfish, Rio Grande longear sunfish and gizzard shad. Take it as evidence of what swims here, not a promise for one session. On Cutoff Slough that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 84°F; the cold one sits at 44°F. It fishes twelve months of the year. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. At Cutoff Slough the season follows that pattern closely. Wind on the bank for a day or two lifts the fishing there.

• 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. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Sand Lake at 1.3 miles is the sensible second choice. For Cutoff Slough in particular, ask before you travel.