I haven’t been to Lake Fork since I was about 9 or 10 years old. My buddy and I are heading up there from Houston next week for the whole week. Staying at Oak Ridge Marina.

My main question is about getting around the lake. I’m aware that it’s full of stumps. I see the SRA boat lanes on my Garmin. Is the lake safe to run as long as I stay in the marked boat lanes? And of course, idle once outside of them. Any fishing info/advice y’all are willing to provide is always welcomed.

Also, I plan to visit some other lakes in the area while I’m there. Obviously wont be going to ALL of these, maybe 3-4 of them. I like doing a bit of exploring rather than sitting on one of body of water for a whole week.

-Holbrook (100% will go here)
-Bob Sandlin
-Cypress Springs
-Hawkins
-Winnsboro
-Quitman
-Gilmer

If anybody wants to provide any help on any of these lakes, that’d be awesome. As with Fork, my main concern about these are simply navigating around safely.

As always, thanks for the your help. Looking forward to this run!

You can always get a lane chip for your map to make it safer to navigate Fork if you are unsure. Someone that has been there recently can comment on if the windy weather has moved any of the buoys that mark the main lanes.

Cypress Springs is pretty much wide open on the main lake. We had a place there for years. There is very little vegetation but it is abundant in boat docks to fish. Lots of spotted bass.

Sandlin was one of my favorite lakes to fish when it had grass. It was like a miniature Fork and produced some big stringers. It is easier to navigate than Fork until you get to the hwy 21 bridge and then you better know where you are going or take it slow past there. Someone may have a map or chip to help there as well. You can run from the dam to the 21 bridge in the middle of the lake no problem.

https://www.boatlanes.com/boatlanes_product_catalog.html

In the heavy wind Cypress would be a good choice as it runs pretty much east/west.

Gilmer is a good small lake but be careful of the stumps there as well, especially south of the bridge

Thank y’all. So Sandlin and Springs I’m pretty safe to move around

Sandlin no, it's runable but there are numerous areas of concern. There was a map image posted with the general safe areas to run but maybe someone else has a link to that or can repost it.

I’ll see if I can search for it, thanks. Hopefully someone has it though. Springs is pretty open?

On Holbrook I would idle on the north end of that lake for sure. There is a slow down buoy there if I remember correctly and I would take heed and come off pad north of that buoy. Hawkins is dicey as well on the north end of that lake. I have only been there once but north of the Italian restaurant ramp I took it easy. It did appear some locals would run to the 2869 bridge up north but I did not.

Springs is wide open .

Cypress- is wide open..
Holbrook- is also open except when the lake widens toward the north end of the lake. There are some stumps up there so idle.
Hawkins- is pretty open but when you get to the red buoys, it marks a channel you have to follow to get to the north end of the lake.
Winnsboro- the only boat is on the very easy of the lake close to shore. From the boat ramp you can cross the lake to reach the east shore.
Gilmer- It is a small lake, just idle. There are a few boat lanes but they are not marked.
Quitman- To the right from the boat ramp there are some stumps. Left your OK. Small lake so just idle there as well.

Get the Fork guide lanes chip. It will save you a ton of idle time. You can run a lot more of the lake than what you would think. As far as your list of lakes goes, I'd hit Holbrook and Gilmer for sure. Hawkins can be decent at times. Sandlin and Cypress Springs both suck. Winnsboro really sucks. Don't know much about Quitman other than there's a lot of mid 50's "Lake Life" housewives running around out there. Good luck!

Forgot to mention, don't leave any rods or electronics on your boat while sleeping. Take them into the room. Better safe than sorry. Meth travels at odd hours.

A few years back I went to fish the reeds just left of the ramp on Lake Winnsboro. Apparently there is a piece a concrete with rear in that area. It puts a huge gouge on the bottom of my brand new boat.

Awesome!! Thanks for this. What is “the boat ramp” on Winnsboro and Quitman? There are a few on each it looks like, so is there one you recommend?

Thanks for the info. That’s the first time I’ve heard that about Spring and Sandlin on here.. lol.

And yeah I’ve heard about that. I keep all my gear inside anyway when I’m out of town. Sad to hear that’s going on around Fork. Guess I probably need to lock the trolling motor to my boat because it’s on a quick release.

Yikes.

As far as I know there is only usable ramp on each lake.

The ramp on Winnsboro is off of CR4890 on the S.W. end of the lake. You will drive past the dam and the park is on the right at the end of the dam.

Quitman the ramp is Wood County East Dam Park off of hwy 1416.