Lake Alan Henry, TX

Fishing Regulations

This lake has special regulations on black bass. For largemouth bass, there is no minimum length limit. For smallmouth and spotted bass, the minimum length is 18 inches. Daily bag limit for all species of black bass is 5 bass, of which no more than 3 can be either smallmouth or spotted bass. Up to 5 largemouth bass may be retained, but no more than 2 of these can be less than 18 inches. All other fishes are currently managed under statewide regulations.

Angling Opportunities

Largemouth bass are the most popular species in the reservoir. This lake has produced a number of lunker size fish (13 pounds or larger.) Several have been entered in the Budweiser ShareLunker program. Alan Henry was stocked with Alabama spotted bass as the reservoir filled. These spotted bass grow much larger and faster than our native spotted bass and can reach 4+ pounds. Crappie are abundant in Alan Henry Reservoir. There are no white bass or walleye in the lake. Smallmouth bass were stocked, but have not developed a significant population.

Fishing Cover/Structure

Structure in the reservoir is primarily rock and flooded timber. The lake is very narrow and the shoreline is very steep. There are small areas of aquatic vegetation in some of the coves.

Tips & Tactics

Largemouth bass can be caught on a wide variety of baits depending on season and water conditions. The best season for bass fishing is spring when water temperatures reach about 55-60 degrees. Common fishing lures include plastic worms, spinner baits and crank baits. There is ample habitat around the lake so anglers have a lot of area to choose from. The lake gets a lot of fishing pressure, especially during the weekends in spring and summer. Most of the spotted bass are located near the dam. To distinguish spotted bass from largemouth bass you need to hold the mouth closed and look at how far back it reaches. If the mouth goes past the orbit of the eye, the fish is a largemouth. If it reaches to the center of the eye it is a spotted bass. Good catches of crappie are frequently found around the fishing pier and in flooded timber in the arms of the reservoir in the spring and fall. Crappie are best caught with jigs or minnows vertically fished around structure.