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Toledo Bend Lake, a Fishing Hotspot
By Ray Zimmerman
The Development of Toledo Bend Lake, Louisiana In the early 1960's, Louisiana and Texas envisioned Toledo Bend Lake as a joint project on the Sabine River which would later become a reality. To initiate the project, Louisiana and Texas began land acquisitions in May, 1963. Then in April, 1964, the actual construction of the dam, the spillway, and the power plant commenced. The impounding of water in the reservoir began in October, 1966. The power plant was completed in early 1969 and became operational at that time. The Basic Concept There were several valid reasons for the creation of Toledo Bend Lake. Their primary concern was to create an immense water supply which would include a hydroelectric power plant that would supply electrical service to the residents in both states. They also wanted to create a recreational site that could be utilized by the residents of Texas and Louisiana. This Project Made History The Sabine River Authority of Louisiana and the Sabine River Authority of Texas managed and constructed this project as a joint venture. As a matter of fact, this project was the only one of its kind in our nation's history that did not secure the financial aid of our federal government in the permanent financing of this immense undertaking. Completion of the Project When the project was completed, Toledo Bend Lake was listed as the fifth largest lake in the United States and the largest lake in the Southern part of the United States. Toledo Bend Lake stretches over 65 miles (from North to South), has over 1,200 miles of picturesque shoreline, covers approximately 200,000 surface acres, and has a controlled storage capacity of approximately 1.5 trillion gallons of water. It has a maximum depth of 100 feet and the water level can fluctuate 1-5 feet during the year. Species of Fish Toledo Bend Lake has a tremendous amount of submerged timber, which is the ideal habitat for the many species of fish that inhabit the lake. Some of the most popular caught fish include largemouth bass, striped bass, spotted bass, white bass, black crappie, white crappie, blue gill, redbreast sunfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish. The Fish Population Toledo Bend Lake has a population of approximately 300 pounds of game fish per acre in the lake. Since there are about 200,000 acres, that would be approximately 6,000,000 fish in the lake. You will find that Toledo Bend Lake has one of the finest restocking programs in the country. That's why this lake is such a fantastic body of water to fish on. Ask any professional tournament fisherman what they think about Toledo Bend and they will undoubtedly tell you that this is one of the finest freshwater lakes in the United States. Numerous Amenities There is an abundance of marinas that can be found along the shore line at Toledo Bend Lake. Many of the marinas offer plenty of extras that will make your visit quite enjoyable such as lodging, bait and tackle, restaurants, concrete ramps, covered boat stalls, cleaning stations, guide services and gasoline (both on and off the water). You will also find two State Parks that are located at the North and South ends of the lake that provide excellent accommodations. Average Temperatures and Rainfall On average, the coldest month of the year is January. The average temperatures are 34º for low and 57º for high. July is the hottest month with average temperatures being 71º for low and 93º for high. The average precipitation is 4.8" per month which totals 58.6" for the year.
Great for Outdoor Enthusiasts You'll find that there are plenty of woods, wildflowers, and wildlife to enjoy while at Toledo Bend if you're not into fishing. There are numerous campsites available if you want to rough it. If you have never been to this part of the country, do yourself a favor and consider a few days at scenic Toledo Bend.
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Contributor's Note
Stop by my website to print a terrific Fish Cooking Chart. I also have cooking charts available for smoking meats, grilling steaks and roasting meats or poultry. There's also a chart for brining meats, poultry, wild game and seafood.
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Toledo-Bend.com
| Toledo-Bend.net
| Toledo Bend Photo Gallery
 
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 |  | nick appreciated this intel. May 22, 2011 |  | | Sid appreciated this intel. May 22, 2011 |  | | adac liked this intel. May 22, 2011 |  | | appreciated this intel. May 22, 2011 |  | | biblefreeorg liked this intel. May 22, 2011 |  | | Grace appreciated this intel. May 23, 2011 |  | | LadyD loved this intel. May 25, 2011 |  | | Anna Young liked this intel. Aug 15, 2011 |  | | Vegetable Oil liked this intel. Apr 2, 2012 |
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I learned a lot from this intel, not just about the fact that this lake exists and that state governments can (or could, at least) work together to do great things, but also that there is such a thing as a restocking program.
 | | nick May 22, 2011 12:09 | |
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
They have one of the best restocking programs in the country. If you plan to visit Toledo Bend, under no circumstances should you go swimming in the lake. Largemouth bass really love frogs!
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This intel was contributed by crawfish
crawfish
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May, 2012
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