Rice Reservoir in Navarro County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Rice Reservoir is set in Navarro County, Texas. The ground around here is open plain. It runs to roughly 26 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. 9.9 miles away sits Ennis, the nearest town. Corsicana lies 10 miles off, Palmer another 17 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Rice Reservoir

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Species logged nearby in open biodiversity records include dusky darter, Rio Grande longear sunfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish and freckled madtom. Local agencies hold the definitive list for this water. On Rice Reservoir the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 45°F in January up to 84°F in July. Winter is the comfortable season here rather than the difficult one. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. At Rice Reservoir the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Catfish want bait on the bottom: cut bait or worms, a simple running rig, and patience after dark. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Soil Conservation Service Site 1 Reservoir at 2.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Where Rice Reservoir is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.