Slaughter Lake near Athens: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Henderson County, Texas, is where Slaughter Lake sits. The surface lies 413 feet up. Small at around 13 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. The closest town, Athens, is 7.9 miles away. Malakoff is 9.5 miles away, with Kerens at 21 miles. Not far off: 0.9 miles away is Slaughter Lakes, McElvaney Lake at 0.9 miles, 1.3 miles away is Perryman Lake, Murchison Lake at 1.4 miles and 1.7 miles away is White Lake. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Slaughter Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Records collected within a few miles name bluegill, redspotted sunfish, white crappie and black crappie. The records cover the area rather than this water alone. Slaughter Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 83°F, while January sits near 46°F. Winter is a mild inconvenience here, nothing more. Late winter and spring fish steadiest here. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Slaughter Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. Bluegill and other panfish take small jigs or worms under a float near any cover. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Slaughter Lakes is 0.9 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Slaughter Lake for certain.