Lake O.H. Ivie, TX

Fishing Regulations

Statewide fishing regulations apply for all species with the exceptions of largemouth and smallmouth bass. The minimum length limit for smallmouth bass is 18 inches. For largemouth bass, there is no minimum length, but anglers can keep only 2 per day that measure less than 18 inches. The daily bag limit for all black bass species combined is 5 per day, of which only 3 may be smallmouth bass.

Angling Opportunities

Fishing Cover/Structure

Cover in the reservoir is primarily standing timber. The trees and brush were not cleared from the reservoir basin before the lake was impounded, so there are thousands of acres of flooded mesquite, oak, and juniper trees in all parts of the reservoir. Flooded saltcedar also makes up a large proportion of the fish cover. Native vegetation and hydrilla occurs in the main part of the lake and is spreading up the Colorado River and Concho River arms. The structure in the main part of the reservoir is mostly rock. In the river arms it is mostly mud flats.

Tips & Tactics

Largemouth bass are caught using live bait and artificial baits around the aquatic vegetation and standing timber. Another effective bass technique is flipping jigs or soft plastics into the saltcedar. Trophy-sized fish are caught on Carolina-rigged plastic worms, minnows and water dogs fished off deep (20+ feet) humps and drop-offs. Catfish are caught all over the reservoir using live and cut baits. Crappie fishing is usually best at night. Most white bass fishing is done by trolling crank baits in the main part of the reservoir near the dam.