Fishing Lake Harlingen in Cameron County, Texas

• Overview

  In Texas, Lake Harlingen falls inside Cameron County. The sea is 21 miles distant. About 16 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It is a small entry by Cameron County standards. Head to Harlingen, 0.6 miles away, for anything you forgot. For a city, Brownsville is 24 miles off. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Lake Harlingen

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Nearby survey and observation records mention rainbow trout, channel catfish and flathead grey mullet. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Lake Harlingen a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 85°F, the coldest about 58°F. Fish feed through every month here. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. At Lake Harlingen the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, City of Harlingen Reservoir is 2.8 miles off. For Lake Harlingen in particular, ask before you travel.