Drive on Over: 4 Fishing Spots Near Athens, TX

There is no shortage of excellent fishing holes teeming with wall-hanger scaled beauties around Athens, TX. Load your fishing tackle in your Chevy Silverado or GMC Sierra, and go on an exciting fishing expedition at the great fishing spots below. 

Drive on Over: 4 Fishing Spots Near Athens, TX

1. Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC)

The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center at 5550 F.M. 2495 in Athens is a great spot to wet your hook. This state-of-the-art facility features a 300,000-gallon aquarium, museum, hall of fame, hatchery, and laboratory. TFFC has several ponds where you can wet your hook, and they even offer loaner fishing tackle free of charge.

You can also bring your own fishing tackle, but only commercially prepared baits in their original containers or natural baits are allowed. Just keep in mind that the TFFC staff will look over all tackle and bait you bring at the Anglers Pavilion.

2. Lake Athens

Lake Athens is a beautiful 1,799-acre lake just five miles east of town on FM 317. The water in the lake is moderately clear, and it’s home to white bass, redear sunfish, and crappie. The lake is top-rated for its jumbo largemouth bass, some of which can tip the scale at eight pounds, with a record of an astounding 14.19 pounds.

You can catch white bass that measures between 16 and 18 inches and sunfish that reach up to 10 inches, and while there may not be many crappie, if you get lucky to hook one, it’s usually of decent size. Lake Athens Marina and RV Park at 5401 Marina Drive offers easy lake access, has a public boat ramp and a bait shop, and rents watercraft if you want to fish on the water. 

3. Cedar Creek Reservoir 

If you’re looking for an exciting fishing adventure, take a 15-mile drive west on US 175 to Cedar Creek Reservoir, the fourth-largest lake in Texas, covering 32,623 acres. The lake is home to various fish species, including crappie, largemouth, white, hybrid striped bass, blue, flathead, and channel catfish.

With a 320-mile-long shoreline, you’ll have plenty of space to cast your line. The biggest bass ever caught in the lake weighed an impressive 14.65 pounds. Catfish are abundant, and hybrid striped bass are stocked annually, with a wall-hanger record of 13.19 pounds caught in these waters.

4. Purtis Creek State Park Lake

The 349-acre Purtis Creek State Park Lake on Purtis Creek is another excellent fishing hole near Athens at 14225 FM 316 N in Eustace, roughly 15 miles away. The lake is designated specifically for fishing, with a good supply of catch-and-release largemouth and keeper white bass, sunfish, crappie, and channel catfish stocked annually. You can fish from the fishing piers or boat, and there are fish cleaning stations and boat and kayak rentals.

Load your fishing tackle and bait in the truck to drop your hook in the best fishing holes around Athens. Before you head out to catch that big one, swing by Bacon Auto Ranch to take a closer look at all the fantastic new models.

Tags: Fun Activities, Nearby places of interest, Places to Visit Athens
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