Fishing at South Lake, Red River County, Texas

• Overview

  South Lake is a Red River County water, in Texas. It sits in dry hill country. With some 82 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. A shoreline of some 1.8 miles keeps the choices simple. On our Red River County list it sits near the top for size. For a base, Clarksville sits 6.2 miles out. For a city, Tyler is 82 miles off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on South Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Open occurrence data for the surrounding area lists slough darter, white crappie, black crappie, channel catfish and logperch. Records show what people reported, so treat the list as a guide to what lives in the area. On South Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 82°F; by January the average is down near 42°F. Cooler months are the productive ones on most of this water. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. South Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Soil Conservation Service Site 11 Reservoir at 2.9 miles is the sensible second choice. For South Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.