Located about an hours drive north of Dallas, Lake Texoma is largely on the Texas/Oklahoma border and is fed from the west by the Red River. The 89,000 acre impoundment is visited by 6 million people each year. Noted for being a great fishing lake, Texoma offers all the activities that an outdoor family vacation could ask for.
Family Vacations at Lake Texoma
With the completion of the Dennison Dam in 1944, the Red River started to rise and become what is known as Lake Texoma. Shared by the states of Texas and Oklahoma, Texoma would soon become a popular vacation spot. Today, more than a dozen marinas and 20 resorts have sprung up around the lake, and the local tourist industry is booming.
Vacations to Lake Texoma aren't exclusively confined to the water. Golfers can get their fix at any of the public and private courses in the area. Some of these courses are located right on the lake, which makes for one of the biggest water hazards in the southwest.
Cedar Mills Marina is just one of the many popular places for a family vacation to start. Located at the west end of the lake, it offers boat rental, boat service and parts, RV hookups, a beach, fishing guides, groceries, laundry and fuel. The Cedar Mills Yacht Club is back in business after a "hundred years flood" destroyed the original building. If visitors leave their yacht at home, Cedar Mills has them covered. A variety of craft can be rented here, with either sail power or outboard motors.
Fishing Vacations on Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma has an incredible number of hidden coves and inlets. These shallow water areas combine with the main body of the lake, which reaches 100 feet in depth, to offer a habitat that can support a large number of different species of fish. Given the Texas/Oklahoma border location, the warm water can provide ideal growing conditions for fish that might not survive in the colder waters in northern lakes, such as Lake of the Woods.
Catfish, crappie, largemouth bass and bluegill all thrive in the warm water, and bigger fish means more fishermen going home happy. To accommodate the public and make fishing vacations to Lake Texoma a regular affair, the lake offers rod and reel, fly fishing and bow fishing for certain species. Here are some of the lake records that have been set at Lake Texoma:
- Longear Sunfish – 18/100ths of a pound in 1992. (Must've been a small hook)
- Largemouth Bass – 11.82 pounds in 2000
- White Crappie – 3.23 pounds in 1995
- Flathead Catfish – 45.65 pounds in 1997
World Record Fish at Lake Texoma
Of course, every lake has a legendary fish story, and such is the case with Lake Texoma. On Jan. 16, 2004, fisherman Cody Mullenix hooked and landed a blue catfish that crunched the scales to the tune of 121.5 pounds. This incredible 58 inch long fish set a world record for the species. (Since broken)
So, if a vacation involves a golf outing, laying on the beach, cruising the water on a jet ski or a relaxing day of fishing, Lake Texoma can provide the entire family with whatever they have in mind. And, they just might get their name in the record book.
Dave Lovejoy - Dave is a graduate of the University of Nebraska. He is involved in farming and has a custom made furniture business that has customers ...
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