Hello, pretty new to Texas from Southern California. I hope I'm not beating a dead horse here, but is it me or is lake Tawakoni just flat dangerous to boat on?

My mom was out from California, I convinced her to come out on the boat. She is paranoid and affraid to wreck or drown I told her it's nothing. So I decide to try something new (sick of Ray Hubbard, I live next to it) so I take her out to Tawakoni... I'm cruising on the north north side of the 276 bridge probably about 40mph or so out in the middle several hundred yards from shore and I see something fly by out of the corner of my eye. I look back and it was a huge 6+ inch stump sticking out of the water. I turn forward I look to the left and I see another one... So I instantly pulled back on the trottle and turned around.

When I do my turn I notice another stump right in front of me... like as if I would have slammed into it if I didn't stop and turn. It freaked me out... So I cautiously took off to the other side of the bridge, again open waters, and just felt uneasy. Then look off ahead and I see light colored waters... or something, (probably being paranoid) so I turn around and go right back to the ramp and pull my boat out and headed to Lavon. Figured I'm not ready for that lake. Is it just that poorly maintained and unmarked or what? Every lake I've been to throughout my life if you're out in open water and there is a hazard it's marked long before you get to it.

So does anyone have any tips on boating (fishing too) in this lake or should I just avoid it like the plague and it's nasty Quinland surroundings?

Any info on this would be appreciated.

I don't have much experiance on the north side of 276 but on the south side the timber runs down the middle of the lake so you have to run close to the shore to stay halfway safe. Best thing to do is get a map and take a look at it and watch out for the sandbars and long points that run out into the lake.

theres a lot of timber out in the middle on t-wok, like previous post said, best to get good map

Tawakoni is a very damgerous lake, but one tht can be learner and enjoyed. Just because it looks clear, doesn't mean that there aren't any obstructions. That goes for most of the lakes in this area. They are mostly formed in areas that are very wooded, when first created they have many stick ups that can be seen. With the thunderstoms bringing straight line winds and tornados these stickups eventually get snaped off right at the top of the water. TFF is a good place to ask about a lake you are wanting to try for the first time, the guys are very open and full of good information that could save your lower unit, boat or even your life.

sounds like you need to stay on Ray-Hubbard...
inn the open water south of 30...specly with mom come onn now you don't have another one to spare take her to the one you know ...
you just can't run a lake you never been on like that don't care how many lakes you been onn...
never asome.. accdent weightting to happen get someone too show you around first the map may show you the hazzard's but there not that good ... get a guide too take ya'll out...

be safe have fun... safty first... Tawkioni will drown you if you don't know how to run it ...

perfect example of why each lake shoud be studied and researched before you go trotting across the middle of it.

Get a good map. Tawakoni can be bad for someone new to the lake. Lots of trees in open water. Some shallow water where it should be deeper.

run the bank line- 100 yards off the bank. the middle of that lake is beyond FULL of trees/stumps.

Hook up with *Lakeguide*

http://mattsguideservice.com/

California is a lot different than Texas when it comes to lake construction. Every lake I fish is full of timber and I like it that way. I do not want to see skiiers or lake flies no where around me. If you do not know a lake it is better to get a map or a guide to show you around.

Lots of lakes here have forrests in the middle deep areas. Like they said, research a map before running in a new lake. Lewisville has some real hazzardous areas as well. You should see Fork. Be careful.

man, you shoulda seen some of these lakes a couple years ago, they were real low and trees that hadn't seen daylight since they were impounded were exposed, kinda scary to see some of that stuff 2 foot below where you been runnin wot for years.

Years ago, first time I was ever on Tawakoni, it was low. Absolutely freaked at the first sandbar I saw in an area where you'd never expect one. Also the first lake I ever saw Pelicans on.
Aboslutely freaked while watching my flasher go from 50 ft. to what looked like 0 ft. multiple times. ( Yes flasher....it was a long time ago.)
Absolutely freaked when I got down to the dam, an area that on most lakes you can usually count on being clear, and found a frigging forest!

Yea, like I said, I pulled my boat out within 10-15 minutes. Maybe I wasn't being paranoid with that light strip, probably was a sand bar.

I've heard about Fork, couple years ago heard about like 17 bass boats sinking during a tournament or something to that effect. Grapevine and Lavon are the 2 lakes I've mainly been out on. I they aren't nearly as scarey as Hubbard and Tawakoni.

Thanks for the heads up guys, I guess I'll have to do my homework.

Ya might take your boat to Travis. It's pretty deep and structure free. Good place to go joy riding without getting the boat holed.

Hey is you want to get freaked out, lost, scared, and awed all at the same time, you surely have to go to Caddo Lake. Ever hear of boat roads? And you do not run that lake without a detailed map. Spanish Moss hung Cypress trees, giant lilly pads, elephant ears, acres and acres of growth with marked boat roads cut through.
I guarantee your first trip on Caddo will be a life time memory.

Yep there are lots of trees. Here's a picture I took from a boat lane in the middle of the trees a few years ago. Your looking sorta West, finger point would be in the distance and to the left - the two mile bridge would be just out of view looking right and quite a ways off. This is almost in the middle of the lake.

Right now you can only see a few of the tallest trees sticking up.

Tawakoni is pretty safe right now. Just avoid going through the middle of the lake. When the water was low it was very dangerous because when you tried to go around the trees there were some really long sand bars that were difficult to see, water 1 foot deep on top.

That's down near the dam isn't it? Looked EXACTLY like that.

These are all marked with a good GPS system. '06 and up Navionics chip.

Just hit Joe Pool it is a good clear lake.

Fished a crappie tourney in Richland Chambers this weekend. Now that's scary!

Even Hubbard has a few trees in unexpected places. A few years ago I had my aluminum boat out at Hubbard on the SE end, launched at Heath Boat ramp, and headed full speed south towards the dam. Then hit a huge stump and knocked a big hole into my stern,
I had to take my shirt off and use it to plug up the hole so we could make it back to shore!

Wildone I still don't see the pic you posted. Do you have a link?

I was lookin at Joe Pool, I personally kind of like Lavon I've not had a problem there, it's a pretty fun lake from what I've seen sofar, saw the shad boiling the top of the waters and watching the stripers hit em, didn't have my rod with me would have loved to throw a top water out there.

One of these days I'll hit Joe Pool, but yes Ray Hubbard can be freaky too, when you are on the south side of the lake by the point at the end of Dalrock it gets pretty shallow out in the middle.

And I will also note I don't want a lake with no structure, just not at the surface of the middle of the lake haha.

I fixed the picture.

No this is not near the dam. This is back to the West past Wolf cove but toward the middle of the lake. The path through the trees runs from near Sun point toward the state park. I'm not sure if this was actually cut for boat traffic but when the lake was low it was about 30ft wide and I trolled a couple times through without getting tangled. I believe the buildings in the background are the boat slips at Anchor Inn.
If you went left from where the boat is positioned you'd be facing the Terrell pump station.