Which lake to stay at for a few days

The "best lake this spring" thread reminded me to ask y'all this..

A friend and I are planning on taking a few days, maybe a week this spring to a lake somewhere to fish/camp. We were talking about Pinkston and Nacachonie, but I don't see anywhere on those lakes to pitch a tent, and a week on lakes that small would probably get a little boring. We'll have the boat with us (22' Majek.)

So yeah, recommend me some lakes that will have a place to setup camp and good bass fishing! We're coming from Houston so somewhere within about 300 miles or so.

Only lakes to exclude from your recommendations are Rayburn, Livingston, Conroe, Toledo Bend, and Belton. Been going to those lakes for years, and wanting to try somewhere different.

(Just a thought... We were also talking about staying at a lake like Grapevine or Ray Roberts, and fishing all the DFW area lakes for the week.)

Thanks guys!!!

Rayburn has some nice campgrounds.

Ray Roberts for nice campgrounds and can then travel to a lot of different lakes to fish

Choke canyon

Lake o Pines .

Willow Point at Texoma had decent facilities and is by some fishable water.

If coming to N Tex, I would recommend coming late spring. From my experience, Grapevine will get hot a couple of weeks prior to Lewisville and Ray Roberts. Our lakes tend to be nearly a month behind East Texas lakes. Robert's has some pretty places to stay and camp and be out of the city. If staying on the North east end of Robert's, Texoma would be Closer than Grapevine.

grapevine has some nice cabins, stayed in them once.

roberts or texoma for camping out.

Houston County Lake is within a couple hours straight north of Houston just outside Crockett Texas. Beautiful piney woods fishing lake. Camp at Crockett Family Resort: https://crockettresort.com/index.html

Joe Pool is a tough lake but we have had some awesome days on it, both numbers and big fish. However, we have had our share of "no fish" days as well. I don't think you would get bored in a week. Loyd Park looks to be a very nice campground, it can get full over a holiday or when the weather is nice. Also, you would be fairly close to other DFW lakes. Good luck.

Not sure how easy it is to break down and setup your camp, but you could do Roberts, Grapevine, and fish Bridgeport and camp at PK and fish it for a couple of days for a different look, less educated fish on Bridgeport, and just fun to fish PK because of the scenery if nothing else. Tons of camping options around PK

Bob Sandlin State Park is really nice and besides Bob Sandlin you are a fairly short distance from other lakes like Cypress Springs, Monticello (Uh-Oh, Sorry!) Winnsboro, Fork, Quitman, Welsh, etc.

I knew there was a lake I was forgetting to exclude.. I've been going to Houston County the past 3 years very often. My favorite lake as of now, just wanting something different!
Thanks for everyone for the suggestions! Exactly what I was looking for

March--Coleto Creek
April--Sam Rayburn/Toledo Bend
May--Caddo

For something truly different, Drive right through Texas and hit Broken Bow! Nice camping, don't know about fishing, but with the spots and smalies in that deep clear lake, wow!!!!

I know,I know... it's sacrilege to say that!

Amistad.

One of the best lakes for scenery and tough to figure out yet big enough that you won't get bored looking for them.

^^^^ This!

This

Im not sure I would want to "pitch a tent" with the size of some of those alligators out there on the bank.

Man I've been wanting to go to Amistad for the longest time, I just haven't done it because I've heard it's tough to fish. I just can't see hauling the rig all the way out there for that

To add on to my topic, something that would be really great is a lake with some smallmouth. I've never caught one.. Been to belton and still house many times, just never have hung a smallmouth. I've heard Texoma has a good fishery for them but I'm sure its gonna be too late in the Spring..

Meant to say Roberts, not Rayburn.
Texoma is pretty good too.

But they could snuggle with the javelinas when it got cold.

The State park on Texoma is awesome for camping and the small mouth fishing is right there. Drive the boat out of the pocket where the ramp is, turn North and start fishing the bluffs and pockets. You will catch a small mouth and maybe a good one! Ray Roberts is about an hour South and West if you wanted to fish two lakes that are fairly close to each other. Ray Roberts has two State parks both with really nice camping and great fishing close by as well.

I would go to Naconiche and get a cabin. This way you could fish Naconiche, Nacogdoches, Kurth, Pinkston, Murvaul, and little Lake Timpson. They all could fish good in middle to end of March depending on this weather. The lakes named are all within 30 mins of Naconiche. Kurth might be just a little further.

If your going to make it a week. Go all out. Arkansas. Bull Shoals. And rent a kayak go for a float for river smallies in addition to the lake