Shelby Lake in Panola County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Within Panola County, Texas, you have Shelby Lake. The surface lies 259 feet up. The water measures roughly 20 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Nearest place of any size is Carthage, 5.2 miles away. After that come Tatum at 10 miles and Tenaha at 21 miles. Neighbouring water: H and H Lake a touch under 4.5 miles, Akins Lake (5.7 miles), Dixie Lake a touch under 5.9 miles, Minnow Ponds (6.1 miles) and Mud Lakes a touch under 6.5 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Shelby Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Open occurrence data for the surrounding area lists slough darter, bluegill, redear sunfish and bluntnose darter. Records show what people reported, not what is stocked. Shelby Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 82°F and January at 45°F. It fishes twelve months of the year. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Time your trip to Shelby Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Catfish want bait on the bottom: cut bait or worms, a simple running rig, and patience after dark. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try H and H Lake, 4.5 miles away. For Shelby Lake in particular, ask before you travel.