I agree with Okie... in my opinion... the reason the RV parks, lake lots and storage places are full is because of the locals that live around the lake or within a couple of hours... I've been fishing the lake since the mid 80's.. and I'm a home owner / weekender now... Back in the day, any weekend and several weekdays beginning in February I could sit on my dock and count the boats that were lined up about every 50 yards apart or less, and they were from practically every State in the Union... Unfortunately it hasn't been that way for many many years... I remember Bill, his restaurant and ramp were my favorite on the lake... super clean, nice tackle selection and great food... Caught my PB fishing with Gerald Roebuck a couple of hundred yards out looking out of Bill's restaurant window on the ridge out there... used to have grass on it... those were the days for sure...

I really do not know the history of Rainswood so I have no clue why it closed down but to me I would think being grumpy and rude probably turned turned away a lot of possible repeat customers. I've never understood business owners that get into customer service oriented businesses but not like dealing with people at least on some level.

My dad and I spent a week there every year in the spring. RIP... Great food and decent amount of tackle. I drove by the other day and it sure doesn't look like it will be opening anytime soon.

That sounds ominous....what's up with that brother?

Please share. I have felt the lake has been off and something wrong since September and a bunch of the fish I caught looked sick. Couple that with whomever feels they must spray any and all grass that starts growing in the lake fishing has been pretty terrible. I recently started catching a few and nice fish but man it’s been off for a while. Seems all the fish suspended out over the river channel all fall/winter

A lot of people fishing Fork have switched from bass fishing to crappie. Especially with the development of the Garman Live Scope sonar unit making it fun to watch yourself catch fish on screen in live mode.


Fork NEEDS A LOT MORE GRASS IN IT for the bass fishing to thrive like it did in the past. They need to replant hydrilla back in the lake.

Well first of all I am not a fan of spraying. Second of all I do think tournaments are hurting us some what in the fish getting to the next level. I think Genetics are more native now as well. Lack of grass a big difference and low numbers of fish all over the lake seems to be not good.

I log each day pretty much since 1983 and I see things on paper I don't like.

Our fish at Fork have more predator threat today than ever before. The lake now has Hybrids , yes I caught 5 last year up to 6 lbs. White bass, water turkeys, tournaments and OH TURTLES. Lack of cover to hide the baby bass.

The small bass don't have much of a chance to make it to 3 lbs because no where to hide and every predator is after them from day one. So most never make it to the slot. We have a gap in the 3-6 lb range.

Still have some big ones out there which most people come here for but, from a customers point they want to catch fish while targeting a big ones and they don't want to catch 12-16 inch ones. I totally understand this.

TPW had some areas they cages around grass this year but it seems the turtles and the coots are eating it before it reaches it full bloom.

Grass is probably the biggest thing we need and more stockings.

Until this year the last 4-5 years I think we only received 325,000. This year was 552,000 I think and that is at a 1 % survival rate. Do the math 5,520 fish for 27,000 acres. That is a number for a 35 acre lake.IMO

We have a new fisheries guy now that is going to do us right cause he fishes and understands fish. The last guy we had did not fish or know fish.IMO

I am not here to bash Fork. I love this lake and care for it a lot. I just want my grandkids to get to fish it and enjoy it as I did and knowing they may catch a giant.

Rainswood in the 90's - A very cool place to be

Bill Kell was an old grouch no doubt, we used to always stay at Rainswood because it was one of the few places that allowed pets. We always went on spring break and a week in June. We had a little black Schnauzer that Bill insisted stay with him while we were out fishing, he would sit in his chair and hold him all day and take him next door to his house when he closed. He would tell me the only reason he liked me was because of my wife and dog. If you really wanted to get old Bill fired up was ask for biscuits on a weekday, he would tell you in a very stern voice that biscuits were only served on weekends. When Bill retired he moved up to Darouzet in the panhandle by Perryton and Canadian. Last I knew he was battling cancer and not doing real well.

I thought about retiring to Lake Fork but as you've pointed out the lake is too remote for the type of "normal living" that my wife and I wanted. That is is is too far from a Lowe's or Home Depot and the best chance for a night out meal would be a buffet at an all you can eat catfish place. There were not enough activities that could keep my wife occupied. So we built a home on Lake Tyler. A benefit being when the ambulance finally comes to pick me up, I'll be closer to the hospitals. I'll bet the fishing is still better up there.

This is not true. My wife and I just built a house in Glade in Yantis. I can be at Lowes in Sulpher Springs in exactly 10 mins. Sulpher Springs also has any restaurant you want. I live in Frisco now, and it sometimes takes me longer to get where I want to go in traffic than it does at the lake. Myself and my wife obviously love bass fishing, but love to duck hunt as well. The area set up perfect for us and thats why we built our lake house/retirement house out there. Sometimes I also wish the lake had the recreation side to it, but then I talk to friends that have places on Texoma, and now their kids barely go out there like they used to and they are wanting to move.
I feel no matter where you build there are going to be pros and cons. But Fork itself....yes, nothing around the lake except what you said. But tons of stuff 10 to 15 mins from the lake.

Hey Sinkey, do you have a private ramp back there you can let me use in the spring I'll send you a christmas card and get you a gift card to East Fork.

Man any "good" Mexican restaurant around Fork would be awesome.

Thanks! I have found a bit of grass that didn’t get sprayed this year......yet. Funny thing is there is a bunch of it that is growing out of the top of the big stumps versus on the bottom. For the most part there is no grass and fear never will be again. Too many park home developments and everyone wants that clean bank in front of their spot....

I dont, I want tons of grass!!!!! I want my shoreline to look like a 1970's porn star!