Willow Bend Lake Number 1 near Addison: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Texas holds Willow Bend Lake Number 1, in Collin County. This is pine and hardwood ground. It covers about 9 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Collin County standards. Addison sits 5.2 miles from the bank. Plano follows at 6 miles, then The Colony at 6.2 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Willow Bend Lake Number 1

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Fish reported in the area, according to open records, include channel catfish, bluegill and Rio Grande longear sunfish. The records cover the area rather than this water alone. The near bank of this water is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 85°F in July and bottoms out near 44°F in January. Cooler months are the productive ones on most of this water. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. This water runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Shirley Phillips Mead Lake at 0.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Where this water is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.