Lake Lavon

Quick Links: Fishing Regulations | Angling Opportunities | Cover & Structure | Tips & Tactics

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Lake Characteristics

Location: In Collin County northeast of Dallas and 4 miles northeast of Wylie, off Texas Highway 78
Surface area: 21,400 acres
Maximum depth: 59 feet
Impounded: 1953, reservoir size doubled 1974

Water Conditions

Current Lake Level
Conservation Pool Elevation: 492 ft. msl
Fluctuation: Moderate
Normal Clarity: Moderate, greenish color

Reservoir Controlling Authority

US Army Corps of Engineers
3375 Skyview Drive
Wylie, Texas 75096
(972) 442-3141

Aquatic Vegetation

Native emergent vegetation includes water willow and floating American lotus is present.

Predominant Fish Species

• Largemouth bass
• White bass
• Channel & blue catfish
• Crappie

Lake Records
Current Fishing Report
Stocking History
Latest Survey Report

Lake Maps

Free maps are available at the USACE office (972) 442-3141

Fishing Regulations

This reservoir has a special regulation on catfish. See bag and size limits.

Angling Opportunities

This lake is noted for crappie fishing, especially in winter and spring. Largemouth bass, channel catfish, and blue catfish offer good angling opportunities. Sunfish are plentiful, with good populations of several species.

Species	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent
Largemouth Bass
Blue Catfish
Channel Catfish
Crappie
White Bass
Sunfish

Fishing Cover/Structure

Most structure in this lake is in the form of standing timber, especially uplake in the East Fork Trinity River arm and the Sister Grove/Pilot Grove Creek arm. When present, aquatic vegetation is generally in the backs of the many small bays and coves along both sides of the two main arms running north and south. Infrequent stands of cattail surrounded by water can provide excellent habitat for most species. Outflow from the electric generating plant on the east side of the east arm can attract fish in winter, when ambient water temperatures dip. Rip-rap along the dam provides excellent habitat for largemouth bass, channel catfish, and sunfish.

Tips & Tactics

During the winter, crappie school in deep water and are usually found around deep structure, especially on south-facing shorelines. Some anglers place brush piles in deep water near boat houses for winter fishing. In the spring, these fish migrate into shallow water to spawn and become very vulnerable to angling. Baits of choice would be jigs and minnows. In winter, a very small (1/32 oz) black and white jig can be effective. In spring, try a 1/16 ounce chartreuse and red, chartreuse, white, or yellow jig. Largemouth bass are most active in spring when they move in shallow to spawn. Carolina-rigged 6-inch lizards, Texas-rigged 7-inch worms, and some crankbaits pay off here. The second peak occurs in the fall when bass begin actively feeding for the onset of winter. Try white spinners with gold blades in 3 feet to 1 ½ feet of water, or crawfish-mimicking crankbaits.

Channel catfish angling is best in the early summer when fish head up tributary streams to spawn or get in the rip-rap along the dam. Try cut bait, shrimp, or stink bait fished still or dragged along the bottom with the wind; also known as drift fishing. Blue catfish bite best in the winter and the bait of choice is live shad or sunfish. Drift fish deep, open-water points.

White bass provide lots of recreational angling most of the year, but peak in the spring when tributaries are running and in summer off the dam in deep water. In summer they are usually feeding on surfacing shad. Use small jigs, topwater baits, or minnows. Sunfish are best caught in shallow water while fishing from the bank, boat house, or pier. The bait of choice is the plain old earthworm.