Recommendations for place to stay at O.H. Ivie

Looking for recommendations to stay on or near O.H Ivie. Me and my wife are planning a Monday thru Thursday trip.
Looking for boat friendly and comfortable.
Thanks.

VRBO there is a little place really close to Elm Creek that is great for 2

Thanks, found that right after posting my question. Really appreciate the reply. Live 20 minutes from Fork and fishing has been tough. Got a few days planned coming soon for our trip. I plan on doing some scouting the first few days. Then will do some night fishing to avoid the crowds, hear even during the week it’s packed.

Packed at Ivie is nothing like at Fork. Middle of the week there may be 70 or so boats at most.

We’re booking for May 16th to the 20th. Really looking forward to the trip.

I love that little place, have used it multiple times. Covered boat parking really nice too.

Watch out for a guy in a black caymus, he rides around flipping people off all day.

I saw on facebook that there were some "luxury" and "high end" rooms that may give you that extra comfort that may help the cause in getting the wife to wanting a return trip in the near future. Forgot the name of them, but im pretty sure the elm creek facebook page posted them.

Elm Creek is nice enough for what youre there for....fishing....and theyll cook you food and leave it in your room before they shut down the kitchen for the night! 100% win after a day of fishing to not have to worry about eating since theres not many options out there

True Story

She’s easy to make happy. Don’t need high end, clean and comfy works for her, she’s a trooper. Elm Creek will be perfect, sounds like a winner..

The little bbq place south of the dam is solid. The breakfast burritos at elm are about 10 percent of what they were when Jerry owned it.

You should feel privileged, you also saw a full moon that day.

This^^^^ best food at the lake is Boomers BBQ.

It depends on what your idea of luxury & high end are. We stayed at Concho Park Motel and it is old & run down at best. I don't think they've put new carpet or a coat of paint on the rooms since 1990. They will make sandwiches for you that are good. Breakfast is good. They close at like 2 pm in the off season (when the big fish are biting) and 5 pm during peak season. Dunno why they call it a marina. It is 1/4 mile from the water.

Elm Creek is okay but there is nothing I would call luxury or high end within 100 miles of the lake and I am including Ballinger. The Beefmaster Steakhouse in Ballinger is good food and cheap. We ate there 3 nights in a row. There is also a mini-Walmart in Ballinger if you need supplies.

https://www.stayatcbthree.com/

Lowake's Steakhouse in Rowena is about 30 miles from the lake.

Sounds good, thats going to work fine for us.

Jersey dan got a pretty sweet place. I hear he charges a bottle of Titos per night.

This little place looks awesome, just snagged up the last large cabin they had available.

Now all we need is to figure out the lake, any thoughts. Humminbird does not offer OH Ivie on their chart select maps. Navionics?

sent you a pm

Thanks for all the replies, we really appreciate it.

I’ll post up some pics from our trip.

It’s more miss than hit, Jacobys in Melvin is hands down better as well as beefmaster in Ballinger.

We will definitely be in the hunt for a good steak.

I don’t think he fishes anymore just complains and tells everyone how bad the fishing is

Fishes huge- no worries.

San Angelo is only 50 miles and thats a kick in the nutz to say nothing here is high end even though its true.

Bring slim females aged 18-35 and you can stay at my place

You wouldn’t know what to do with them anyway.

This thread is growing like telling fishing tales....

I never once said high class, high end lol. Let me remind everyone my original post what I was looking for us. Tell it like it is...

Looking for recommendations to stay on or near O.H Ivie. Me and my wife are planning a Monday thru Thursday trip.
Looking for boat friendly and comfortable.

Again thanks, we are looking forward to the trip.

Concho, Elm, or Sportsman Lodge are about as close as you can get and boat friendly

Concho, Elm, or Sportsman Lodge are about as close as you can get and boat friendly[/quote]


Thanks, we have reserved a cabin at CB Three. We will give this one a try first and look around the reservoir and see what else might work for next trip. With my schedule we can make a week or so trip every week, hoping the rain in East Texas helps lake level @ Fork.

I’ve been there several times with my wife and stayed at Elm Creek every time, she had no problem with the rooms but also she just loves to fish so she’s not needy when it comes to accommodations. Definitely not 5 star but it rained several nights and neither one of us needed a rain coat while we slept. Take a small portable grill, some steaks and whiskey and sit around the grill drinking whiskey while the steaks are cookin. Better than any steakhouse.

North end of main lake stay in river Chanel if you decide to go north. Main lake itself is safe to run with no issue.

Thanks, we have reserved a cabin at CB Three. We will give this one a try first and look around the reservoir and see what else might work for next trip. With my schedule we can make a week or so trip every week, hoping the rain in East Texas helps lake level @ Fork.
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Figure out the food situation. Elm had good food and these dudes I talked to a bit kept talking about the catfish at Sportsmans. That place look comfy...and new...but having that big [censored] burger waiting for you in your room after fishing was a definite plus! Dudes were grilling and even smoking meat at the Elm .....but its dark. So just prepare since that place looks a bit standalone. Post a Trip report if theyre good people there....im sure a new business could use good word of mouth

Sportsman’s grill shut down a couple months ago, guess Josh couldn’t save it like he claimed he had done.Not many options around the lake Monday-Thursday to eat in the evening. Closest place ffrom where he is staying is probably Big O and it’s average at best. Best thing to do is bring your own food, think elm shuts grill down early during the week. Not as much traffic around here lately.

We will go to Coleman to eat one night. Good and crafty on the grill. We will fire it up and do some grilling, sit back and enjoy.

Downtown Coleman has a steakhouse and across the street is a wood fire pizza joint, both are legit good.

Everyone I knew that went there said never again because of the cigarette smoke. It was pretty bad in there.

This place must be brand new. It does not show up on Google maps.

Very well could have been, hard to please everyone. Concho allowed smoking for years and didn’t seem to hurt them for some reason.

It is new from my understanding. Looks like a good spot. Will give some reviews on it.

brand new. I think i just saw it pop up on facebook in the last couple or few months. Prices arent too bad since I think all the other rooms are around $80 on the cheaper side.

Is there a good RV park? Boat friendly and secure?

Elm creek and Concho has few.

the food situation at the lake sucks. i have tried to eat at dillions bbq several times but they are always closed for one reason or another. beefmaster is ok nothing special.

as minor as it sounds....that deal that elm does where theyll cook up food and leave it in your room was awesome! then they just pop it on your tab too....good people! First night I luckily bought some chile con carne...but another dude told me about them leaving food in your room, and I was sold! Food was solid....especially after a day of fishing. I got pizza down the road from elm at the spot that has the good beer selection...was that sportsmans though? I think it was right around there....about 5-10 mins from elm creek. that place seriously is in the middle of nowhere...a true getaway.

I think the grill is closing early now so if they did it the food would be extra cold and sitting out for a while if they left it in your room. Pizza you are talking about is sportsman’s and they closed the grill for good and the beer store is open a few hours a day now in the evening.

Thanks for all the help with places to stay...I'm going to try and sneak my 12 yo out there this weekend and check this lake out. Coming from DFW never been on it. Suggestions on where to start? Sounds like can run most of the lake?