Lake Brownwood: Texas Fishing Hotspot

• Lake Brownwood is an excellent Texas fishing destination.
• The lake has many structures and ample vegetation, especially around the docks.
• Wild Duck Marina offers great amenities for boaters.
• Top species include largemouth bass, catfish, white bass, crappie, and sunfish.

---

Located on Pecan Bayou and Ned Creek, Lake Brownwood attracts anglers from all over the state. The lake is 70 miles southeast of Abilene and 10 miles north of Brownwood and offers a tranquil rural setting. For nearly 50 years, this Texas hotspot has hosted the Brownwood Bass Club Open Tournament in the spring, offering cash prizes through 25th place! While boating these 6,490 acres, fishermen can enjoy views of the 600-acre wooded state park and utilize a free public boat launch. Plus, the lake is not overfished like many larger lakes, so the opportunities to reel in large species are abundant. But don’t just take it from us—check out these videos below!

Structure and Cover

Lake Brownwood’s variety of structures and vegetation significantly contribute to its excellent fishing prospects. The main body of the lake showcases limestone bluffs and boulders, while the creek arms contain mud and sand. Due to the abundance of standing timber and laydowns, the upper ends of Ned Creek and Pecan Bayou boast exceptional fishing conditions. Additionally, Lake Brownwood is the ideal spot for dock fishermen. Deep-water docks seeded with brush dot the lake, providing ample opportunities for excellent dock fishing.

Wild Duck Marina

While fishing on Lake Brownwood, anglers can enjoy all the amenities of Wild Duck Marina. During the summer, the marina hosts live entertainment every weekend at its American-style restaurant. Wild Duck also features a general store, boat slips and rentals, cabins, RV sites, event buildings, and a bait store. It is an excellent one-stop shop for all things Lake Brownwood.

• Hours: Thursday: 4 p.m.–10 p.m.
  • Friday: 4 p.m.–12 a.m.
  • Saturday: 11 a.m.–12 a.m.
  • Sunday: 11 a.m.–10 a.m.
  • Closed Monday-Wednesday
• Location: 320 High Top St., Brownwood, TX 76801
• Contact: (325) 784-7100

Fish Species

The most popular species in Lake Brownwood are largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, white bass, and sunfish. Check out these tips if you want to learn how to reel them in!

Largemouth Bass

Lake Brownwood boasts excellent largemouth bass fishing. The best season to catch this popular fish is September through May. You can find them in more vegetated areas, such as brush, submerged timber, boat docks, and rocky points. The best bait options are crankbaits, brown or green Texas-rigged plastic worms, chartreuse-bladed spinners, and shaky-head jigs.

• Bag Limit: 5
• Minimum Size: 14″

White Bass

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better white bass fishing spot than Lake Brownwood. When fishing for this species, anglers have the best luck from early May to late October. During this season, white bass congregate in the main lake area. However, you can find them along the creek channels during the late summer. Additionally, night fishing off the illuminated docks is an effective—and much cooler—way to catch white bass during the summer. To attract this species, use crankbaits, slabs, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, and live bait.

• Bag Limit: 25
• Minimum Size: 10″

Channel Catfish

The best season to reel in a monster catfish on Lake Brownwood is May through October. You can target this species close to the river and in creek channels containing calmer currents. Many anglers successfully use shrimp, chicken liver, and live bait to catch catfish.

• Channel Catfish:
  • Bag Limit: 25
  • No size restrictions.
• Flathead Catfish
  • Bag Limit: 5
  • Minimum Size: 18″

Crappie

Generally, the best season to reel in crappie is December through May. These fish often gather around brush piles and bridge pilings. Many anglers report procuring excellent results using minnows and jigs as bait.

• Bag Limit: 25
• Minimum Size: 10″

Sunfish

You can catch sunfish nearly year-round. The best bait options are maggots, bug and insect imitations, and small crankbaits.

• There is no bag limit or size restriction.

Now that you know how good the fishing is on Lake Brownwood, you may aspire to get on these waters every day. If that’s the case, Cindy Lanham is happy to help you find a Lake Brownwood home!

FAQs