Lake O' the Pines fishing: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish
Target species: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Paddlefish, Blue Catfish, Sunshine Bass, White Bass
Boat: 1 ramp or launch on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Big Cypress Marina.
The reservoir
Lake O' the Pines covers 18,132 acres in Texas, across 3 counties: Marion, Upshur and Morris. It is a reservoir: 91.4% of it is 26 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 57.8 feet (17.6 m). Our records hold 10 species for this water.
7 target fish, led by Largemouth Bass
- Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
- Smallmouth Bass — Feeding water: 60–75°F.
- Channel Catfish — Feeding water: 70–85°F.
- Paddlefish — Feeding water: 60–75°F.
- Blue Catfish — Feeding water: 70–85°F.
- Sunshine Bass — Feeding water: 70–80°F. Nonnative.
- White Bass — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
Also recorded here: Redbreast, Bighead Carp, Common Carp.
Depth and bottom
Deepest measured point: at least 57.8 ft (17.6 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 91.4% of the water is 26 feet or shallower. We hold 583 depth contours for this water, drawn from 216,023 soundings.
- 0–2 ft: 11% of the water
- 2–4 ft: 6.3% of the water
- 4–6 ft: 7.9% of the water
- 6–8 ft: 8.2% of the water
- 8–10 ft: 7.5% of the water
- 10–12 ft: 7.1% of the water
- 12–14 ft: 6.9% of the water
- 14–16 ft: 6% of the water
- 16–18 ft: 6.2% of the water
- 18–20 ft: 6.5% of the water
- 20–22 ft: 6.3% of the water
- 22–24 ft: 6.2% of the water
- 24–26 ft: 5.3% of the water
- 26–28 ft: 3.9% of the water
- 28–30 ft: 2.6% of the water
- 30–32 ft: 1.5% of the water
- 32–34 ft: 0.6% of the water
- 34–36 ft: 0.1% of the water
Stocking: 7,394,832 fish, 1968–2025
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department records list 7,394,832 fish released into this water from 1968 to 2025.
- Channel Catfish: 550,763 in 1968–1970
- Blue Catfish: 326,902 in 1971–1994
- Smallmouth Bass: 315,000 in 1980–1982
- Paddlefish: 25,047 in 1992–1998
4 more species on the stocking list.
Water and conditions
Water clarity runs 1.3–3.6 feet on our readings, averaging 2.5 feet, from 177 readings. Our water temperature readings average 83°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 7.5. These readings span 2016–2026.
1 ramp or launch on this water
On this water we hold 1 boat ramp.
- Big Cypress Marina — Jefferson. 1500 Big Cypress Marina Road, Jefferson 75657 · phone +1-903-665-8582
The place listed has no fee or opening hours on file: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.
What is hard here
Wind is the limit, not the fish: 18,132 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. Only 1 public ramp is on file, so the launch decides where you fish.
Where this data comes from
- Texas Water Development Board — Texas Water Development Board: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom, 1998.
- USGS RESSED — USGS RESSED reservoir sedimentation database: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
- USACE CWMS — USACE CWMS elevation-area curves: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
- EPA NLA — EPA National Lakes Assessment: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
Part of these depths rest on an averaged water level, so they are approximate (≈).
