Hill Lake Fishing near Carthage, Texas

• Overview

  This water sits in Panola County, Texas. The water sits 210 feet up. Surface area runs to about 16 acres — small enough to read in one session. Nearest place of any size is Carthage, 7.9 miles away. For a city, Shreveport is 37 miles off. Nearest other option: Flag Pond within 4.2 miles, Poss Lake out at 5.2 miles, Prior Lake Number 2 within 5.5 miles, Prior Lake Number 1 out at 5.8 miles and Moore Lake within 6.9 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Hill Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Documented catches and surveys in the area cover dusky darter, spotted bass, channel catfish and Rio Grande longear sunfish. Local agencies keep the authoritative list for each water. At Hill Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 82°F; by January the average is down near 45°F. Winter is the comfortable season here rather than the difficult one. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. That is the shape of the year on Hill Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Flag Pond at 4.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Signs at Hill Lake carry more weight than any list.