Lake Conroe is a 20,118-acre lake just 45 minutes north of Houston. It is about 200 feet deep and slightly stained in clarity. Lake Conroe is one of the premier fishing destinations with excellent bass, catfish, and bluegill fishing, and with crappie making comeback.
Regulations
To fish on Lake Conroe, you will need a valid Texas fishing license and freshwater stamp. Check with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for statewide regulations regarding bag and length limits. One exception at Lake Conroe is a minimum length of 16 inches for largemouth bass, as opposed to the statewide length limit of 14 inches. You must have a triploid grass carp permit to fish for grass carp. If you catch one, you must return it to the water unharmed.
Lake Access
There are eight boat ramps available to access Lake Conroe. You can access the lake through the national forest, where there are two paved public boat ramps. There is a small boat launch at the Stubblefield Lake picnic area. For a fee, you can launch at one of the many privately owned marinas, which also provide handicap accessibility. The FM 830 ramp is another launch point, which will put you in the middle of the lake, maintained by TPWD.
Largemouth bass
According to the TPWD, largemouth bass are the most sought after fish in Texas. Ricky Bearden set the standing Lake Conroe record in 2009, with a 15.93-pound largemouth bass. The best fishing lures to use when trying to land a trophy are soft plastic baits or shad imitation lures. Bearden reeled in his bass using crank bait. During the early spring through the late fall, you will have the best luck around marinas and boat docks. In other seasons, it is better to fish the deeper waters of the lake. The best lures for fishing for largemouth bass are soft plastic baits or shad imitation lures.
Bluegill
The record bluegill caught in Lake Conroe was 1.41 pounds and 10.5 inches long. Live worms and crickets attract bluegill, an exciting species to catch when practicing your fly-fishing technique. Let your bait reach the lake bottom quickly to avoid catching a bottom feeding fish. Once you have a bluegill on the line, be ready as they provide a lot of fight.
Channel catfish
You can catch channel catfish using a rod and reel or trotline at Lake Conroe using liver, stink baits, worms, shrimp or even grasshoppers. Channel catfish are the most abundant fish in Lake Conroe, and fishing is good all year for them according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. The current record is 15.5 pounds set in 1976.
White and Hybrid Striped Bass
White and hybrid striped bass fishing is also excellent in Lake Conroe year around. Anglers are most successful for these species when trolling the open waters using artificial or live bait. Lake Conroe is a fishing destination for white and hybrid striped bass. Bass fishing is good all year, and the most successful technique is to troll the open water using artificial lures and, sometimes, live or cut bait. The record white bass is 3.56 pounds, set in 1988. The record striped bass is 12.11 pounds set in 2002 using a rattletrap lure.
Crappie
Anglers expect the good crappie fishing at Lake Conroe to improve even more, thanks to the Lake Conroe Restocking Association. Crappie fishing is best in the spring near marinas, docks and submerged trees. Minnows and jigs are the best bait to use when trying to catch crappie. The record white crappie is 2.7 pounds, and the black crappie records stands at 2.2 pounds.
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