Mineola, Texas, is located right in the middle an area known as lake country, and it has the distinction of having four lakes, and they are all less than 20 minutes away.The lake areas offer locals and visitors hiking, biking, birding and wildlife viewing. It also has about 20 miles of equestrian trails, picnic areas and camping areas. However, fishing is the main attraction.
Lake Holbrook
The closest lake is Lake Holbrook, only a few miles northwest of Mineola. The lake is heavily stocked with largemouth bass and attracts anglers who enjoy fishing for them, but the lake is also highly rated for both black and white crappie because they are "prevalent in the open water of the reservoir," according to the state of Texas. Catfish are listed as a fair catch, but their numbers are improving, and they are expected to gain more interest as they become more abundant.
Lake Fork
Lake Fork is only a 10-minute drive from Mineola. It is a good place to catch catfish, bass and sunfish, but it is also an excellent spot for largemouth bass and crappie. On this lake, however, the bass catch has a daily limit of five, and only one can be larger than 24 inches. There are also seasonal limits on crappie, which is a 25 limit on daily catch and a 10-inch minimum length. However, in December, January and February, there are no restrictions on crappie.
Lake Quitman
Lake Quitman is 15 minutes from Mineola. It is located on Dry Creek, which extends from the Sabine River. It covers 814 acres and has a maximum depth of 25 feet. Like the other nearby lakes, the predominant fish species is largemouth bass and crappie, but bluegill and catfish are plentiful as well. The lake is particularly good for year-round catfish fishing because the timber surrounding the island in the northern part holds the fish during every season of the year.
Lake Hawkins
The last lake is Lake Hawkins, about 20 minutes from Mineola and is also a tributary of the Sabine River. It covers 633 acres with a top depth of 30 feet. Its vegetation includes a number of native floating plants, including the water lily, lotus and water shield, and it also features underwater plant species such as chara, cabomba and others. As far as fishing goes, catfish and crappie are poorly rated, but bass, pickerel and sunfish are good.
Considerations
The climate of Mineola is conducive to fishing and other outdoor activities because it is subtropical and fairly warm, with mild winters, for most of the year. As far as fishing rules and required licenses are concerned, all specifics are managed and enforced with state regulations. All four lakes are part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and they are under the umbrella of their domain.
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