I'm going to Lake Fork for the first time next week. I've got a bass boat, but I've never been there before. Suggestions on where to put in, and an area/method to fish?

I also might take an hour or two to catch some crappie for a fish fry. What about a spot for them?

i'd save you the gas and trouble and call a guide....at least for your first trip. tell em u want to learn the lake and see what all u learn in a day. Fork can really sting if u dont know where to slow down and trim up. there are tons of good guides on here that aren't terribly expensive. Ive personally been with Jason Hoffman and Tony Clark and I thoroughly enjoyed both. Would not hesitate to book again with either.

Jason - 903-456-3691 - jason@lakefork.us
Tony - 903-474-3508 - tonyclark1963@yahoo.com

Put in at Mustang Resort and start fishing, early top water and a little later Rattle Snakes weightless around the stumps. The fish can be located just about anywhere.

That was what a friend told me the first time I went two years ago and I caught plenty.
You wont have to worry about the stumps too much because you wont even start your big motor.

Bombay,

I really wish I could afford a guide, but I'm tapped this year since I just bought my boat. The guide will have to wait until next spring. I just can't stand having a boat and living an hour away from Fork without trying it. LOL

Nickandnat-
Good advice from brokenjeep. Don't try to run the lake. Pick a cove and go fishing. You could also launch in Williams and fish it. And you can launch in Chaney and stay there. If you're feeling bold, launch at Minnow Bucket. You can run the boat lane to the 154 bridge or to the main lake in front of the dam. But....if you leave the boat lane, even by 15 yards, lay down and IDLE. IDLE. It's a pain, but the first time you bump an unseen stump in apparently clear water, you'll understand why. There's lots of good fishing in the Caney arm. You've got plenty of time to learn how and where to run. Go to the marinas or Academy and by two or three different LF maps. It's worth the investment because they all are a little bit different in terms of info they provide. Get and install the Lance Vick Boat Lanes chip. You can find it at LF Marina, I believe. It's a great investment at around $35. But even after you get it, you really have to stay heads up and see the bouys. Pay close attention when you're in transition areas and bouys lead off the main lake into coves. One of the maps does a good job of marking the transition bouys so you know to drive to them, then turn in toward the cove, FOLLOWING THE BOUYS. If the wind's up a bit or the glare is just right, it's easy to mess up and think you're driving to the correct bouy but you find out you've just cut across an unmarked area headed to a bouy intended for boats taking a different route. It's kind of hard to explain, but when you get ont he lake and look at the bouys and look at your map, you'll see what I'm talking about.