Lake Corpus Christi Fishing Charters & Guides

Lake Corpus Christi, TX

It’s pretty hard for a small lake not far from a huge body of water like the Gulf of Mexico to get a lot of attention. But Lake Corpus Christi in south Texas gives it a pretty good run. The 21,000 acre lake, located just northwest of the Gulf Coast Town of Corpus Christi, serves as the town’s water supply. But it also fills the bill for excellent freshwater fishing and water sports. Largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, channel and blue catfish, and all kinds of sunfish from bluegill to redear bream are well populated on the lake. You won’t find the lake listed among the “biggest” or the “best” anywhere, but it produces plenty of catches that keep fishermen coming back. The lake is mostly shallow in the coves and around some of the shores, but has a maximum depth of 60 feet. The variety of habitat and structure on the lake includes steep rocky banks, flooded timber, meandering creek channels and shallow flats with plenty of structure on them. The upper reaches of the lake are often stained because of the Frio River flowage, but that doesn’t mean you can’t catch fish there. The lower parts of the lake are often stained, but much clearer.

Fishing Lake Corpus Christi

Fishing is good here all year long, but especially in the spring and summer when fish are spawning and then later, feeding frantically on shad and other baitfish. The submerged trees, humps, long points and old roadbeds are great spots for bass. Often the water rises, and during periods of high water the flooded brush around the lake is a hotspot for anglers. If that isn’t enough to whet a bass angler’s appetite, there are also numerous grass beds and even water lily fields that are havens for largemouth bass. White bass are caught mostly out in the open areas along the edges of channels and woods lines where the fish chase schools of baitfish. The action is great in the summer when schools of whites stay on top eating baitfish in large schools. White bass congregate in the Nueces River channel from December through February to gradually head upstream to spawn. Live minnows are popular baits as are rattletraps, shad raps, small spinnerbaits, small grubs, and other minnow imitating artificial baits. As the weather warms, white bass will often school in deeper water located in the lower portion of the reservoir. Jigging spoons or small rattletraps trolled deep near main lake points and humps put fish in the cooler. The variety of structure also gives largemouth bass anglers a chance to fish a variety of baits with success. Locals all agree that the best spring baits include spinnerbaits, buzz baits, rattletraps, crankbaits, and unweighted soft plastic worms or jerkbaits. Summer bass fishing on Lake Corpus Christi can be frustrating for even the most experienced angler. Topwater baits such as: buzz baits, Zara Spooks, or Pop-R's, presented very early or very late in the day near weeds, are popular and can be productive throughout the day if cloud cover is present. Spinnerbaits, worked on long sloping points early in the morning, producing numerous bass. Flipping jigs, plastic worms, or tube baits in heavy shaded cover are also productive. Crappie fishing is good in the shallows in the spring on shiners, jigs and bladed spinners. As water warms, the fish move out on the flats and then to the deeper water in the summer. There’s also a special bonus here for crappie fishermen. A lighted fishing pier often brings crappie in to feed on baitfish that are attracted by the lights. Again, minnows and small jigs seem to work best. If it is catfish you are after, there are channel, blue and some flathead catfish in the lake. Cheesebaits and cut bait produce lots of blues and live bait like bluegill work best for the flatheads. Some of the biggest fish come from deep water, but there are big numbers of fish in the shallower parts of the reservoir as well.

Visiting Lake Corpus Christi

Lake Corpus Christi State Park is a 365-acre park, located southwest of Mathis. Many of the park's facilities were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the 1930s. This 21,000-acre lake was formed by damming the Nueces River. Activities include camping, picnicking, boating (motors allowed), water skiing, fishing, swimming, bird watching, and hiking. Besides state park, several private marinas and campgrounds are located on the lake, including Sunrise Beach, Fiesta Marina, Weber’s Landing, Camp Bell, Mustang Hollow and Lake Corpus Christi RV Park and Marina. If you have some downtime away from a fishing trip to the lake, numerous attractions are available for the whole family in nearby Corpus Christi. The USS Lexington Museum on the Bay, the famous Padre Island National Seashore, the Texas State Aquarium, South Texas Botanical Gardens, Whitecap Beach and the Bob Hall Pier are all attractions you may want to check out.