Just bought a 21' Nitro bass boat and was hoping to get some advice on lakes in the area to avoid or ones to frequent. Not wanting honey holes, just wanting some advice on lakes that are more dangerous than others and ones that you can feel relatively safe on. I know to be safe everywhere, just want to know the ones that are traditionally dangerous and to be avoided by a new idiot. Thanks.

welcome to the forum. if you would put your location in your sig you will get alot more info

That is a loaded question. There are many things to avoid as a newbie. Other Newbies and idiots are a big part of it but IMHO the important thing you need to watch for is the weather and water conditions. A man has to know his limitations. Watch the wind and learn your boat before you tackle windy conditions. watch the water levels and look at a good lake map to get an idea where there will be submerged trees. Watch your speed, you never know when a stump monster is going to bite you until you learn the lake you are on. Any lake can be dangerous and you have to treat it like that.

I know you want to use that new boat and it's good you have sense enough to be concerned with safety. Many new boaters aren't. The advice already given about the weather is very good. Just remember if the wind is blowing straight down or up the main lake body it will get rougher than if blowing across it the narrow way. And figure on higher winds than the forecast. Also remember that most, if not all, Texas lakes are abnormally low right now and will be till we get enough rain to bring them back up. The stump cutters they use to clear boat lanes only cut about 8' below the surface, less if large limbs keep them away from the trunk. Rayburn, for instance, is almost 8' below normal pool level so do the math. If a lane was cut at normal level it isn't much of a lane right now! And you paid for those life jackets and kill switch so use them. They can save your life!

If you are in Pilot Point, Ray Roberts is a great lake. Just take it slow because of submerged hazards. You could always hire a guide that will show you around.

Some of the guides offer an assisted trip where you follow them around or maybe even go in your boat.

Ray Roberts is a great bass lake and an exceptional sand bass lake. I have seen some amazing schools of sand bass during the summer. It can be rugged with a strong south wind. Be careful.

Texoma is a great one!

Cliff spindle is a great crappie guide on Ray Roberts and he has a follow behind program

If you are on the lake and going into a cove watch out going around the point into the cove. Sometimes the point can be shallow for a long ways into the lake.

stay off lewisville in the summer on weekends!!

Bridgeport is a great lake...

Get a boatlanes chip for the lakes you want to fish.

My two main concerns on the water are wind and idiots. A windy day on a crowded lake gives me a headache. Be very wary of coves. The same ones that hold cover for fish will be the ones that have a widow maker outside the cove. Watch the weather-If thunderstorms are forecast on a saturday in May or June, you would probably be better off doing honeydos. Picture this-a very crowded lake on Memorial Day weekend. Its 4PM. Idiots have consumed large amounts of alcohol. A big black cloud starts to roll in with lightning and wind. The boat ramp has a line. This is why I like to be the guy who is backing his trailer into the water instead of the guy begging for mercy!

Be sensible, smart, aware of your surroundings, don't take chances, obey boating laws, and be courteous to other boaters. When you are a novice, pick a pretty day with little wind and boat traffic. This may be on a Thursday, but you can learn quite a lot without chaos around. Good luck.

Good point. Many times when fishing in the DFW area if a storm came up I avoided the boat ramps and tied-up or beached in the back of a cove. Time and time again I have watched drunks damage their boats, trailers, and get hurt trying to beat a storm at the boat ramp. Since I worked 2nd shift for 15 years, I fished mostly at night. As a rule I felt safer in a boat on the lake than trying to drive through the drunks on the roads.
In those years, several times a year I had drunk boat operators try to interfere with my fishing. Having a drunk buzz you time and time again when you are working a worm across a point is no fun. I would just move back into the cove 25 feet and then watch the drunk run his boat up on the very point I was fishing. The drunk was only trying to bother me and not paying attention to the area he was driving his boat. Grapevine and Lewisville were the worst. I miss that good Texas fishing, I live in New Mexico now and I can't get enough fishing to keep me happy.
Take care,