Gone Fishin’
Among the skyscrapers and concrete lie several parks minutes from downtown Dallas that have excellent fishing unknown to the general public. No boat, no problem, because these holes can be fished right off of the bank.
Lakeside Park, Gore Park, Williams Park and White Rock Lake are all 2 to 3 miles north of downtown, and provide a person with as much fishing fun as he or she could handle. These four parks are home to three species of edible fish: blue-gill catfish, small-mouth bass, and carp. Other fish that can be caught but are not edible are perch and mullet.
Lakeside Park, located in Highland Park on the corner of Beverly Drive, is a picturesque park among beautiful homes. Lakeside has gentle green slopes that bring you down to the winding water’s edge. The banks of Turtle Creek are shaded with old oak and magnolia trees giving inviting shade for bass and catfish to hide under. The park runs parallel with Lakeside Drive and resides in between Beverly Drive and Armstrong Parkway.
“When fishing in Turtle Creek, the bass seem to like bright colored plastic worms or plastic crawfish,” local fisherman Lee Grimm said. “Sometimes in the evenings, the bass will bite a top water lure, like buzz bait. That is most fun time to fish.”
Lee Grimm is a regular at Lakeside Park. For three years, fishing under the Armstrong Parkway, he has never seen another person fish there.
“I really don’t think people, especially people who live in this neighborhood, know how good the bass fishing is here.” Grimm said. Plus fishing is a great way to relax away from the fast-pace city life,”
He only bass fishes and uses a light action pole with an open cast reel, with six pound tested Triline string. The largest bass he has caught in Lakeside was a little over 1 pound. Lakeside Park is a true hidden paradise for fisherman.
Gore Park and Williams Park, located on 3800 block of University Boulevard, are two other great parks to fish for bass, carp and catfish. Turtle Creek also flows through these two parks, which are shaded with a vast number of trees along the bank side.
“Most of these parks in University Park are never fished.” “People go to Gore and Williams Park to hang out or walk their dog, but not to fish,” said Amber Johnson, secretary of the University Park Wildlife Department. “Turtle Creek has a good concentration of bass, blue-gills and carp.” It should be a great place to fish,” Johnson said. Remember, these three parks are only a few minutes north of downtown Dallas.
White Rock has two hot spots for fishing, south of the lake on Garland Road and north of the lake off of Mockingbird Lane. Both spots are relatively unknown to the public, which allows for great fishing and relaxation.
Local fishermen Craig and Jerome Strange have been catfishing at the mouth of White Rock Lake for over six years. They fish under a single tree by the Mockingbird overpass. For cat fishing, Craig and Jerome use an open cast reel, with a medium action pole and 10 pound test line.
“My brother and I have caught some pretty big cats out of this hole,” Jerome said. “Yeah I caught a six pound fish the other day,” Craig said. “For catfish we use something that’s smelly so that it attracts the fish, like chicken liver or fish heads.” “With catfish you have to fish on the bottom because they like that cool water down there,” Craig said.
Another local fisherman, Juan Ramirez, likes to fish at White Rock to relax away from his wife. He says it is therapeutic and doesn’t get him into trouble. He mainly fishes for relaxation, not to catch fish.
“That is the beauty of fishing. I am out here along the water with nothing to care about except it getting dark. Then I have to go home and face reality,” Juan said.
White Rock Lake is another recreational area that is mainly used by cyclist, joggers and dog walkers. People do not fish these areas. Many people like Adrian Dongell did not even realize that the fishing was good at White Rock. He had never heard of anyone fishing there before. Dallas has plenty of great fishing areas right under its nose.
All four spots around Dallas are great places to get out of the office and fish. If you are a local or a newcomer who likes to fish but doesn’t have the time to travel very far, then these places are for you.
They are all scenic and relatively close to anyone living in the Park Cities Dallas area. Gore Park, Williams Park, Lakeside Park and White Rock Lake provide a quick release of tension from the hustle and bustle of a busy city work day. So catch Dallas by surprise and fish in the city.
Gone Fishin’
