TPWD District Fisheries Office

900 CR 218
Brookeland, Texas 75931
(409) 698-9114
Dan Ashe, Biologist

About the Area

Local Information

Nearby State Parks

 

Lake Livingston

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


BOATER ADVISORY: Zebra mussels have invaded this reservoir! CLEAN, DRAIN AND DRY your boat, trailer, livewells/bait buckets, and other gear before traveling to another water body. Draining water is required by law and possession and transport of zebra mussels is illegal.

Lake Characteristics

Location: On the Trinity River in Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity and Walker counties. Dam is in Polk and San Jacinto counties, west of Livingston and 50 miles north of Houston.
Surface area: 90,000 acres
Maximum depth: 77 feet
Impounded: 1969

Water Conditions

Current Lake Level
Conservation Pool Elevation: 131 ft. msl
Fluctuation: 1-2 feet annually
Normal Clarity: Moderately to highly turbid

Consumption Advisory in effect

Reservoir Controlling Authority

Trinity River Authority
PO Box 360
Livingston, Texas 77351
(936) 365-2292

Aquatic Vegetation

Native emergent plants are limited to the upper areas of the reservoir and in the backs of coves and embayments. The floating exotic water hyacinth is found throughout the reservoir.

Predominant Fish Species

Lake Records
Current Fishing Report
Stocking History
Latest Survey Report

Lake Maps

No free maps are available.

Fishing Regulations

This reservoir has special regulations on some fishes. See bag and size limits for this lake.

Angling Opportunities

Lake Livingston is a notable white bass fishery. White bass are plentiful and grow to large sizes. Also notable is the catfish fishery, dominated by blue catfish. Largemouth bass, striped bass, and crappie are less abundant but good catches are possible in areas of the reservoir where habitat is available.

Species Poor Fair Good Excellent
Largemouth Bass yes      
Catfish       yes
Crappie yes      
White Bass       yes
Striped/Hybrid Bass   yes    
Sunfish     yes  
Fishing Cover/Structure

PVC fish habitat strutures have been placed in this reservoir. Anglers may use GPS in conjunction with a fish finder to locate these structures.

Use the Habitat Structure Viewer for an interactive map of fish habitat structures and downloadable GPS coordinates.

Tips & Tactics

White bass are most readily caught in early spring in the many creeks that feed into Lake Livingston. Striped bass can be caught around the 190 bridge area by trolling and vertical jigging spoons or live shad. Largemouth bass are most frequently caught in the bays and creeks from the Kickapoo/Penwaugh area northward. Spring and fall are the most successful seasons for largemouths. Channel and blue catfish can be caught most any time of year on a variety of organic and live baits over the main river channel and in off channel tributaries and creeks.