Fishing on Cedar Creek Lake

What TPWD Says About Cedar Creek

TPWD's 2023 Cedar Creek Reservoir survey provides the most detailed recent assessment of the lake's fishery. Key findings:

• Largemouth bass: Most popular species, accounting for 67% of directed angling effort. Tournament angling made up 85% of all largemouth bass effort, reflecting the lake's tournament fishing culture. TPWD describes the population as providing a popular fishery and notes the southern end of the reservoir where water is clearer is best. Lake record: 14.65 pounds.
• Crappie: Second most targeted species at 19% of angling effort. The 2023 trap net survey confirmed crappie are still abundant, with a stable population across the last three surveys (2015-2023). Both black and white crappie are present.
• Blue catfish: More abundant than channel catfish in the legal size range. Fish over 30 inches were observed in the 2024 gill net survey. Guide reports consistently cite fish up to 45 pounds possible drifting deep flats in 24-40 feet with cut gizzard shad.
• Hybrid striped bass: TPWD stocks annually. Lake record: 13.19 pounds. Temperate bass (hybrids and white bass) account for 8% of angling effort. Anglers follow birds to find surface-feeding schools in open water.
• White bass: Present in good numbers, particularly active during spring spawning run when they push into creek channels and shallower areas.

Where to Fish: The North-South Clarity Split

TPWD's guidance on largemouth bass is explicit: best fishing is in the lower end of the reservoir where the water is clearer. Most submerged vegetation is also in the lower third of the lake -- in the weedy backs of coves near the Malakoff dam area. The upper portion near where Cedar Creek and its tributaries enter carries more turbidity and shallower water, which affects both bass habitat quality and the overall fishing experience. Serious bass anglers targeting Cedar Creek Lake should prioritize properties and access points in the southern portions of the lake if proximity to quality bass water is a factor in their purchase decision.

The three TPWD wildlife islands on Cedar Creek Lake -- Big Island, Bird Island, and Persimmon Island -- are managed as wildlife management areas for aquatic birds. Public access to land on these islands is not allowed, but anglers can approach by boat and fish the adjacent waters. The structure around these islands holds fish throughout the year.

Crappie Fishing on Cedar Creek Lake

Cedar Creek Lake has one of the more active crappie fishing guide services in East Texas, with guides like Brent Herbeck (Herbeck's Lonestar Fishing Guide Service) reporting consistent action. Key crappie patterns on Cedar Creek Lake: small jigs and minnows in 7 to 12 feet of water around bridge pylons, brush piles, and docks. During winter, crappie move deeper and respond to deadsticking. In prespawn (typically February-March on Cedar Creek), male crappie push into shallower water and creek mouths. The stable population trend identified in TPWD's surveys is encouraging for the long-term quality of the fishery.

Catfish: The Deep Drift

Blue catfish are the dominant catfish species in the legal size range on Cedar Creek Lake, and the fishery is genuinely impressive -- guide Jason Barber (Kings Creek Adventures) reports fish up to 45 pounds on cut gizzard shad or carp drifted over deep flats in 24 to 40 feet of water. Anchored fishing in 3 to 10 feet with shad off the bottom also produces consistently. The historic creel survey data shows catfish accounted for over 20% of directed effort in previous surveys, though more recent surveys show a decline in catfish-directed effort that TPWD is monitoring. The fish are still abundant; it is the targeting behavior that has shifted as bass and crappie fishing continue to grow in popularity on the lake.

Access and Boat Ramps

Cedar Creek Lake has 8 marinas and numerous public and TRWD-operated boat ramps distributed around the lake. Tom Finley Park, the primary TRWD-operated public day-use park with an ADA boat ramp, requires a small admission charge. Most marina facilities offer covered and uncovered wet slip options for kept-at-water boat storage. For properties with private boathouses -- common at Cedar Creek Lake under the TRWD permit system -- access is immediate from the property without ramp logistics.