I am considering retiring in a couple of years. Any suggestions on a good lake to retire on? Looking for a lake within 2 or 3 hours of DFW. I would like a lake with good all around fishing and recreational activities for the kids. Thanks.

I like Fork.. ...living the dream.
had about 40 Crappie today, we were just cruising around looking at new spots.
All were returned, wife even caught a 6 pound bass, that's always fun.
I still keep a place in the city, but here about 4-5 days a week in summer.
jim

Good luck, trying to get my wife to pick a lake for a retirement home.

We picked Granbury. Can get pretty crowded but lots of homes to choose from. Fishing can be poor to great like any other lake. HWY 377 is a disaster traffic wise and I doubt they have any plan to fix it making it frustrating. Otherwise, I really like it. We�re in Lubbock so west side of DFW was a requirement

We like Lake Athens.

From our home, it is 65 miles to the south part of the 635 loop in Dallas, about 3 1/2 hours to the Energy Corridor in west Houston, a little less than 2 hours to west Fort Worth. Oh! and about 30 minutes into Tyler.

Within 30 minutes to an hour or so, if you like to move around some to fish: Purtis Creek, Tawakoni, Lake Fork, Lake Palestine, Richland Chambers, Cedar Creek, Neches and Trinity rivers, Tyler lakes (multiple), Fairfield . . . the list is actually too long to remember them all.

Too, about 10" more annual rain historically than Fort Worth (where we are from) and much less frequent drought effects on lakes than, for sure, west of D/FW. Some lakes during the last drought dried up very, very badly in different spots. I'd do a bit of research regarding this.

Oh! And, there are some cool little lakes like Callendar Lake near Canton, gated, small and really beautiful. Lots are still available in there to build something new if that is a consideration.

Lots of great lakes!

Brad

Do all the tournaments on Fork cause a problem?

Bridgeport. That�s where I�ll retire. Good fishing almost all year for all kinds of fish. Boat traffic only on weekends. Was out there today and not many at all.

Texoma, huge lake, has all species of fish, only downside is it is rare to have a dock below your home, we have a slip a couple minutes from the house so not too bad.

Probably out of my price range but if I picked one today it would be Lake Nacogdoches.

Everyone is different but here's my take. I like to fish but my wife does not. For me to retire to a lake it had to be something that had interest for her. We looked at lots of places including Texoma, Whitney and even Bull Shoals in Arkansas. We chose Possum Kingdom. PK is a tough fishing lake for those who do not fish it all the time. That said, I catch lots of big fish here and that will be the case for any lake you fish ALL the time. More important was the fact my wife can be happy here as well. My reasons for Choosing PK:

1. The lake is gorgeous. Prettiest lake in Texas with water so clear they used to teach scuba here.


2. My wife likes her pet deer.


3. The fishing is pretty good. Excellent for stripers and OK for Bass and Crappie.


4. Very few Mosquitoes. I can sit on my Balcony or be on the lake at night and never see a Mosquito. When I fish Lake Fork, I have to leave the lake early or be feasted on by legions of hungry Mosquitoes.

5. Had to be close to the Metroplex so we could go back to my second home in Allen and buy Groceries.

6. The lake is extremely private during the week. Unlike Texoma or Fork, there is almost zero boat traffic on PK during the week.

7. The high cliffs downlake make a nice view with spectacular sunsets.

PKFishin,

I've considered PK for many of the same reasons. However, I've not fished it regularly, but now intend to do so. Is there a marina where I can rent a boat slip by the day and also has rooms/cabins? I've started surfing the net, but thought you might be able to recommend as a resident.

Thanks,

Gulf of Mexico

Lake Guntersville for me. Unlimited fishing opportunities thanks to the Tennessee River. Lower property taxes are an added bonus.

Nauticstar: At the cliffs you can use the courtesy dock if you rent a condo or a hotel room. I don't know if they have slip rental by day. I know they have plenty open so they should do it.

Fishin Nut: Lower property taxes is a good reason to leave Texas and Alabama would be a nice choice . Was one of the big reasons I considered going to Arkansas. Hard to get my Texas wife to live in Arkansas though. Taxes on my lake house and residence in Allen are about what the average person makes in a year. These property tax rates will make it very difficult for most people to retire in Texas without working a part time job.