Merrills Lake Fishing in Gregg County, Texas

• Overview

  Merrills Lake belongs to Gregg County, Texas. Height above sea level is 279 feet. At about 32 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 1.4 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Few waters listed in Gregg County are bigger. White Oak at 3.4 miles is the nearest place to stop. Tyler is the closest city, 26 miles away. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Merrills Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open occurrence data for the surrounding area lists green sunfish, bluegill and freckled madtom. Presence in the area does not guarantee a fish on the day. Merrills Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 83°F in July and bottom out at 45°F in January. The year never really closes; it just gets uncomfortable in summer. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Merrills Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Black Lake, 0.4 miles away. Nothing on Merrills Lake should be assumed from this page alone.