I wouldn't get in a float tube on any Texas lake. I've seen too many things that I'd rather not swim with. (Giant alligator gar and alligator snapping turtles)

float tube in east texas lakes? haha no dam way.

Well, I'm sure glad you all chimed in and that I asked before I went out on my float tube.

Doing some research on the alligator gar and alligator snapping turtles, I came across posts on here from a couple months back. I think I'll get rid of the float tube and switch to a kayak. Even then, it seems like some of the bigger beasts could take down a kayak.

Thanks again for all your replies!

Id kayak with moby dick. The ONLY thing I wory about is snakes falling in the boat from overhead when feel in the creeks. Had a rattle snake fall on top of me in the Brazos once got hung in a tree started shaking to free my worm and out he Fell. Good thing he wanted to get out as bad as I wanted him out

As far as things in the water in a kayak you'd be fine

What you a sissy?

When I was in High School I inner tubed fish in lakes, ponds all over North Texas

I've wade fished marshes in SE Tex. when I was younger (20's-30's) with alligators bigger than most any kayak. Grew up around gators. I think the gator population down in SE Tex is probably 1000 X what it is around the Metro mess. Get the kayak if you want but folks are blowing this way way out of proportion. One of the best bass catching days I can remember happenedon The McFadden NWR north of the intracoastal waterway SW of Port Arthur in the water for hours around gators, one over 10'. Gators were after same thing as we were ... spawning bass.

Can anyone cite a case of a gator attack in N. Texas in the last 100 years? Or even more far fetched is a snapping turtle or alligator gar attack. Active imaginations.

The water mocassins like to hitch a ride on the floats.
Its why I got rid of mine

I was fishing in Ray Branch at Lake Fork last week. I saw what I thought was a coral snake, swimming towards my boat. When it got close enough, I just pushed it away with my rod tip since I definitely did not want it in the boat.
Happened so quick, I did not note the color pattern, but it was yellow, red and black. "black to yellow, kill a fellow, red to black, friend of Jack". Coral snake are extremely venomous.
Question is, has anyone else seen any coral snakes around Fork?
Possible it was something else.

Yep...just go floating around the back of little caney or up in Birch on Fork and you will be fine on that lake as well!

Good point about the jet ski; some of those jet skiers have very little safety awareness and/or common sense.

Here's a good list for you of float tube lakes (found by searching the float tube subforum for old posts)
Some of these lakes are more tube friendly than others (the Tyler lakes, in particular) have become more and more busy over the years. Some of these lakes have more water moccasins than others (Greenville Lake 3 has a lot) Some have more gators than others (Herman Baker in Sherman is known to have some, along with Hawkins)
Acres Lake Name
349 Purtis Creek State Park
107 Cleburne State Park
70 Fort Parker State Park
65 Bonham State Park Lake
64 Madisonville
60 Greenville Lake 3
58 Edgewood City
56 Coleman (Hopkins County)
56 Sunshine Lake
56 Grand Saline
53 Wolfe City #2
52 Waterloo Lake
50 Meridian State Park
50 Lower Kaufman
50 Canton City
47 Trinidad City
47 Wolfe City #1
46 Cottonwood Lake
42 Mt. Vernon City
42 Loy Lake
40 Upper Kaufman
35 Fannin Lake
Bonham City Lake
Bonham State Park
Mineral Wells SP
Tyler SP
Bonham SP
Cleburne SP
Purtis creek SP
Meridian SP
Big Creek Lake
wheeler Branch
Muenster Lake
Lake Fairfield SP
Lake Holbrook
Lake Naconiche
Lake Pinkston
Lake Jacksboro
lost Creek reservoir
Lake Quitman
Mill Creek
Lake Timpson
lake Welsh
Lake Winnsboro
Lake Alvarado
Coffee Mill
Davy Crockett
Hawkins
marine Creek
Lake Waxahachie
Lake Clark (Ennis)
Black Creek - LBJ Grasslands
clear Lake -LBJ Grasslands
Rhodes Lake LBJ Grasslands
Cottonwood Lake- LBJ Grasslands
Lake Coleman
Wheeler Branch
lake Cisco
Lake Daniel
Lake Bryson, Waterloo Lake, and Loy Lake.
Southlake-Farmersville
Dean Gilbert - Sherman, TX
Pickens Lake(aka Herman Baker Park) - Sherman
Alvarado, Aquilla, and Navarro Mills

I grew up in ETexas, fished in Arkansas, OK, Tx and LA around gators...always from a boat...we always had weapons (just in case things turned real bad)...the gators will try to steal your fish before they get to the boat (and they do succeed occasionally). Mostly, they just check you out (kind of like a crackhead checking out your garage while asking innocent type questions) and move on, unless of course they are dominant animals or during nesting season, then they are very aggressive in their territory. I have over a lifetime had some real close gator encounters, have had boats bent, turned around, slightly mangled, but never around the DFW area...but I don't fish around gators anymore (even in a boat), because I have become risk averse with age.

There are some really big gators(14ft) in/around the FTW nature center...I only fish that area when the gators are hibernating...last guy that shot one was railroaded by TPW types (he shot it as it was coming for him within a couple feet), and they said because the gator had not attacked/sunk his 10ft boat or eaten him, he violated the law and accordingly poached it...It was over 14 ft long...and if you saw where the attack happened ANY rational person would have done the exact same thing he did!

I think snakes pose the biggest risk in our area, moccasins can bite you underwater, growing up in east Texas, life was full of stories about the person that jumped in the water only to float to the top after being bitten a hundred or so times, and dead as a hammer...I have personally known a couple of those kind of victims, so I was not really big on float tubing backwater fishing areas...I do use a two man, and occasionally wade fish, but I take snake medicine with me, when I do...just in case. As pointed out earlier, the biggest risk is snakes dropping out of trees onto your float tube, into your boat, or down your back...Anytime you approach trees (especially willows), take a minute to look the tree over for resting snakes (and wasp nests), if there is one there just steer clear of the tree...if it is poisonous, give it a wide berth...

I am not sure I added to any comments received, thus far...Just thought you might like a 50 year perspective of fishing Texas waters both with gators/snakes. East Texas is far worse for both these critters than the DFW area is...most of the snakes here are the non-poisionous variety. Remember, snakes inside the boat is no fun, but it is far less risky than snakes trying to get on your float tube....

You've personally known people who've been envenomated by 100s of bites? I'm calling BS. This is a legend, but if this has happened it would be documented and I am willing to read it. You have known this to occur more than once? Where and when? I'll even research it for us.

Also, what "snake medicine" do you bring with you?

I agree with the snakes as I have had them try to get in my boat before. What no one mentioned that would worry me is trot lines and snagged hooks. I swim in the lake a decent amount and worry about stepping on old rusted out hooks or swimming across trot lines. It would make for a pretty bad day to get a rusty treble in your leg. Good luck with your new kayak!

A good friend of mine, Stumpy, says that it's been years since he's seen any hazards on local lakes..

Saw one (coral snake) for sure on Sandlin. It was sunning itself, what a beautiful snake! I wouldn't want one in the boat with me.

Get a kayak, they are plenty big and perfectly safe. Safer to be on the water in a small boat then walking the bank where the snakes really live. I got my first small boat after I shined my light down at my feet while fishing the rip rap fishing pier at IDB State park and there was a moccasin down in the rocks between my feet! I am not afraid of snakes but I do respect them.

Gators, not a problem, they seem shy to me and in 20 plus years of fishing around DFW I don't recall ever seeing one. Only one I have seen in the wild in Texas was Dam B below Sam Rayburn.