Water Lovers Get in the Flow in Texas Midwest
Published Feb 19, 2009
Dusk falls over Hubbard Creek Reservoir in Stephens County, one of many Texas Midwest fishing spots.
Virgil Moore says Hubbard Creek Lake is one of the best-kept water recreation secrets in all of the Texas Midwest.
The executive director of the Breckenridge Economic Development Corp. admits that even though the lake is quite large at 17,000 acres, it is still somewhat of an unknown haven for anglers looking to catch largemouth bass, crappie and catfish.
“People who finally discover Hubbard Creek Lake often ask me how we have kept this excellent fishing spot such a secret for so long,” Moore says. “The reason is simple: Urban sprawl has yet to spread this far west, so we don’t have large housing developments
and multi-million-dollar homes. That makes our lake kind of secluded and laid back. It’s easy to get around the water to find plenty of good fishing spots.”
Fishing and water recreation opportunities are in good supply in the region, and lakes are becoming more popular with outdoor enthusiasts.
For example, San Angelo has three hotspot destinations – Nasworthy, O.C. Fisher and Twin Buttes lakes – while Abilene is home to Lake Abilene as well as Kirby Lake.
One of the best spots for crappie and white bass is Fort Phantom Hill Lake in Taylor County. Another popular destination for white bass is O.H. Ivie Lake, which stretches into Coleman, Concho and Runnels counties.
“There are 40 freshwater lakes in the panhandle plains region that includes the Texas Midwest – that’s a lot of lakes,” says Bobby Farquhar, regional director for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Inland Fisheries Division.
“Fishing and boating opportunities in this part of Texas are certainly abundant,” he says.
Such is the case at Lake Proctor in Comanche, which hosts several highly regarded bass tournaments each year.
“Fishing is truly the No. 1 recreational use for Lake Proctor, and that has always been the case,” says Christine Perkins, who is the executive director of the Comanche Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture. “The lake also has one of the most outstanding camping facilities you could ever find. Some people actually just camp there and never set foot in the water to go fishing, boating or swimming. They simply camp for the beautiful scenery.”
Besides fishing and camping, recreation opportunities at Lake Proctor include water skiing and water sports.
“Our big draw is that we are not that far from Abilene or the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and the fishing is so good that the lake attracts people during all of the warm-weather months,” Perkins says.
“Lake Proctor is peaceful, enjoyable and close enough to a lot of cities to provide a nice, convenient weekend,” she says.
Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by J. Kyle Keener
Current Weather Conditions In Abilene, TX (79602)
Clear, and 44 ° F. For more details?
Click here...
