Duke Lake Number 1 in Bastrop County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Duke Lake Number 1 stands in Bastrop County, Texas. The surface lies 397 feet up. It covers about 7 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Bastrop County standards. Bastrop lies 6.7 miles from the water. Austin sits 30 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Duke Lake Number 1

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Documented catches and surveys in the area cover channel catfish, bluegill, gray redhorse and largemouth bass. Records show what people reported, so treat the list as a guide to what lives in the area. Read this water for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August near 84°F and January near 49°F on the long-run figures. Every month fishes, though midsummer narrows the useful hours. Late winter and spring fish steadiest here. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. It holds true on this water more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Duke Lake Number 2 sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing on this water should be assumed from this page alone.