Thanks for the info Nate! Is there someone there taking money? Who would I pay?

If it's early, it's self-pay. You'll see the sign, once you get up to the "camp", which like I said, is a house with boats and junk all around,marked with Vance's Camp signs, and there are directions for paying. From what I understand, there is a person there to take money when he's open. Sunday was my first time, so I'm just sharing my experience.

Thanks Nate. Other than your report up top, what was your overall experience like?

I really enjoyed it and recommend it. There was a lot of litter in some areas, which is discouraging to me, but for the most part it was a great place. Just like any new spot, it will most likely take a few trips to find the honey holes.

let us know how it goes.

If the weather cooperates, I am going to try it out tomorrow. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks

Don't fish swim upstream this time of year? Worth is downstream, Right?

Yeah worth is downstream........What do you mean by dont fish swim upstream this time of year??

from what i have gathered the vances camp can be a good place to fish for sandies, cats and crappie. i went over there and i think its just to early to fish it. last year i limited out on crappie in less then two hours and limited out on sandies many times during peak spawn. i did this almost every other day after work.the water is still cold and the weather isnt steady. i think there still staging in 15 to 25 ft. i did catch alot of sandies but there were much to small. i use little georges and 2 white & red headed road runners. crappie on panfish assasins, pumkin seed , white fin s shad or good ol minnows. catfish is usually best during siummer time. set out some chumm along a bend and you have the all over that place. sour maze chicken scratch.
i fished for many years, camped out as a child.

my uncle lives less then 5 miles away and visits that place twice a week. big crappie fan.

Thanks for the info kat fish. i think it is still to early as well but need to get on the water so i thought i would give it a try. thanks

Vance's Camp is on the Trinity River upstream from Lake Worth so there can be fish in there from LW. I've looked on the TPWD website and they show a fish consumption ban on the lake itself but not on the Trinity River upstream. Its pretty trashy there and I've never had too much luck, but one time last year there was a guy pulling crappie out left and right. He was in a boat over a submerged tree. Us poor bank fishermen just stood there and watched.........

i used to fish lake worth back in 98 to 02. i fished for crappie and had alot of luck on the pilings at the 820 bridge. i spoke to a game warden about the ban. he said the older fish that dwell in the bottom have the most consentrations of polutants. catfish, drum, buffalo flats. fish that would be old and large.
this lake is at the max 20ft deep. its covered with silt. that why they have the drudgeing project going on. clean up the lake. make habitat for the fish and improve revenue for the rec boaters. as well as property values.
ok back on the fish ban agian. crappie in one year can grow to almost a 10" span. so for every year one crappie can be born, grow to maturity, spawn. i dont have any problem fishing it. we have generations and generations of fish. the polution has been covered with years of silt. crappie are not bottom dwellers.

this is all what i have collected from news, newspaper and one to one conversations with game wardens. just my two cents.

The spawning fish you catch at Vance's most likely came from lake worth. Lake Worth has a reputation of being "tanted". They say as long as you don't eat fish from that lake everyday, ever meal, you should be ok.
I have had alot of sucess at Vances years ago. It really went down hill after old man Vance died. Trash is everwhere. The most sucessful time I had is when they where letting out a lot of water. The area around the spill way was flooded. We walked in at night and caught a limit of crappie. We had a very small area to fish between two bushes. Pitch a minnow under cork upstream and by the time it flowed in front of you, fish on.

Went to Vance's Camp today and put the canoe in. It was a great time! There is alot of trash but I did not let that bother me. I started by paddling to the spillway and started there. Caught a couple of sandies that were fairly small. Floated back to the old house and caught 4 crappie in the bushes there. The crappie were small except one, which was about 10 or 11 inches. Enjoyed seeing the fighter jets fly over head as well. I think this place will be great in another 2 or 3 weeks. Lots of brush and stumps for the crappie. Can't wait for it to warm a little bit more...............

Vance's Camp is off of EM, not Worth.