Largemouth Bass


Lake Fork has been one of the best big bass lakes in the country for years and nothing has changed.  It still produces so many big bass after all these years.  Anglers catch plenty of bass in the 3 to 5 pound range and many of the locals don’t consider 5 pounders big here.  You’re looking for those double digit fish in the 10 pound range and up to be considered a big bass on Lake Fork.  If you time it right and put in enough time in quality spots, you should get a shot at some bass in the 4 to 6 pound range with bigger fish possible too.


Catch Big Bass


Lake Fork is a big bass factory.  It has been one of the most consistent lakes in the country for producing largemouth bass in the 7 to 9 pound range and even bigger with lots of 10 pound plus bass being reported here every year.  It may not always be easy to get a monster here, but if you put in the time, it definitely possible to catch a big bass over 7 pounds.  Many anglers will come here and book a fishing guide for 2 to 3 days to give them a better chance at a big fish.


Fish the Bridges


There are several bridges on Lake Fork and these pieces of structure can provide some excellent fishing for a variety of fish.  The bridges with some deeper water will hold fish from summer through winter.  Anglers usually target crappie and yellow bass around the bridges, but some very big largemouth bass will be here too.


Fish the Creeks


There are a lot of creek arms on Lake Fork.  Some are rather large areas to fish while some are fairly small.  The creeks are usually best in the spring and fall.  In the spring, you can find some absolute giants all over the creek arms as they prepare for the spawn.  However, this lake gets a lot of attention in the spring, so don’t be shocked if you see a bunch of other boats looking for giant bass in the shallows.

There is a lot of wood in the lake and a good amount of vegetation as well.  Find the vegetation and you’ll find some bass.  The wood will also hold plenty of bass, but there is so much wood that it is hard to isolate the better spots to fish for many anglers.


Fish the Main Lake


In the summer, fall and through the winter, anglers fish the ledges for schools of quality fish.  The summer and winter months usually have the biggest numbers of fish out on the main lake in deeper water, but at the end of fall, they start to stack up out deep as well.  You also have many main lake points and plenty of wood to fish on Lake Fork.  The anglers that know how to structure fish will usually be the ones to consistently find better numbers of big bass when fishing here out on the main lake.


Fish the Points


There are a lot of points and secondary points on Lake Fork.  The points that have access to deeper water as well as cover such as wood and vegetation will usually hold better numbers of all species of fish, especially bass.


Fish the Weeds


There is a decent amount of vegetation in the lake and largemouth bass love the weeds.  If you can find some areas with vegetation and access to deeper water nearby, these are great places to target quality bass.


Fish the Wood


This lake has so much standing timber that it can be ridiculously dangerous if you aren’t careful.  One of the big problems with all the standing timber is that it all looks good, so first timers to the lake may have a real hard time figuring out where to start fishing.  If you plan on fishing wood, try to to find areas that have another variable that can make a specific spot stand out.  For example, you may find more fish up on the flat in shallower water in the spring, while some deeper wood may be more productive in the summer heat.  Some areas will have a combination of some weeds and wood.  Mix in some deeper water nearby and you might be onto something.  On your first visit to this lake, you will be shocked at how much timber is in the lake.  By finding these smaller spots within the spot, you can have a much more successful trip on the water here.


Learn More About Largemouth Bass


Our largemouth bass section is huge with information on the best live baits, lures, where to catch them and how to catch them.  Visit our largemouth bass page to learn more.