Lake Conroe Advice

[TexasBob]

Life is finally slowing down a bit and I have some time off coming up in the next couple of weeks. Wanting to take the boat out and explore the north end of Lake Conroe where it's a bit quieter and hopefully catch some catfish. Any tips? What is the closest launch to the 1375 bridge? Once I go north under that bridge, how bad are the stumps etc? Brand new to that part of the lake but seems like a nice area. 20' Xpress aluminum boat. Thanks all

[TXhoghunter94]

Stumps are everywhere, I do not venture on the north side of the bridge but then again I have a fiberglass boat.

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[E.TX.BOWHUNTER]

Stay in the river channel. You can go a few miles up. Look for creeks or drains going into river channel. I like water 10-15 ft deep. This maybe harder to find up that way. I like to jug and use fresh cut shad. Water is loaded with them shallow now. When a cold front hits hard I go very shallow and at night. Blues will be in very shallow water gorging on stunned shad. I fish protected pockets for this. They face south or east. I like rod and reel at night. Action can get fast. Usually takes 20-30 minutes for cats to find baited lines. I like a 4/0 circle sea hook on a fish finder rig. I have caught 20 pound fish from 4 ft of water when things line up. 3-10 pounders are common. If they are tore up on their faces they are digging clams and you are on or near a clam bed. That can be killer.

[Stins]

Cagle is the closest launch I believe. Like others said, be careful of the stumps

[SaltwaterSlick]

Just before the 1375 bridge, turn south on the Cagle Campground road... It is a NPS controlled ramp. Fee is (or at least it used to be) $5.00. Very nice facilities. Just follow the main road to the boat ramps. Any creek leading to a shallow flat will be loaded with good eatin' size fish right now. I will say, if you're afraid of stumps, just go somewhere else. Once you sort of learn the area, there are good open areas where it is safe to run (main river channel), but without a chart/graph/gps or a good map, it can be tough to follow. Some of the best catfishing I've ever consistently had is straight across the river channel in the stumps from the Cagle ramp. I don't usually fish this time of year, so not sure if the fish hang out in there now or not. Good part about that area is that it holds fish in the area, and you can find structure and water depths from the 20 foot range up to shallow bars and even small islands to fish around.
Go git 'em! And post up some LDFP'S!!

[Quackerbox]

As mentioned cagle is closest.

Its not overly hard to see where you need to be up there. I have ran from 1375 all the way to the first islands in a boat you mention. Ive also ran 60+ mph from 1097 to wildwood shores in a 19 foot bass boat. But I also spent a lot of time chasing ducks in that area in the 90s. My dad was white knuckle on the grab bar and some pee-paw in a john boat told me I was crazy but it worked many times.

The area from wildwood out toward the little island (green blob on map) is all sand and can be shallow. But when the lake is at normal pool your boat will run over it. Just stay left of the island

you might catch some fish around the bridge rip rap and those canals are pretty deep in wildwood shores. Used to whack the crappie pretty hard in there before the houses. Wood ducks would stack in there as well back in the day.

Depending on the day I might be able to run up there and show you

[bboswell]

take a spare prop!

[kurt68]

The new ramp in Stubblefield camp area and bridge is open now. The river is deep south of the bridge and some great fishing.

[Chew]

Be careful! That north side will give you colon cancer.

[SaltwaterSlick]

Be careful! That north side will give you colon cancer.

Dang Chew, I just had Dr. Pepper Zero come out my nose!!
An' dem stumps will knock yo arse out too!!

[Chew]

Dang Chew, I just had Dr. Pepper Zero come out my nose!!
An' dem stumps will knock yo arse out too!!

Yessir. Good thang I had a hard head! Might have made me crazy, goofy, and lose my marbles.

[Cooper]

For a first timer up on the North end....you be very very very careful and travel slow.
Stumps are everywhere, but great fishing.

[AndyMane]

Heads up the lake is low right now, helps by exposing those stumps that were barely visible, but it also brings some into play that were previously of no concern....

[Mitchell8]

I only go up there in my aluminum 12ft boat no one brings fiberglass up north of 1375 even most fishing guides. Its good for kayaks and aluminum boats. Decent fishing probably a lot better areas down south.

[Snowflake Killa]

Did anyone mention Cagle. It's not that hard to run if you know where you going

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