Whitney Lake

Lake Whitney is one of the prettiest lakes in Texas. This, combined with excellent public access and good fishing for many species, makes it a popular destination. It offers top-notch fishing for striped bass and white bass, along with unique and diverse opportunities for smallmouth bass and trophy blue catfish. Texas anglers who have not fished Whitney are missing out on a great experience.

This Brazos River lake is dominated by natural rock shorelines, including steep bluffs, boulders, and sand and gravel flats. Submerged timber and flooded terrestrial vegetation add to the diversity of natural habitat for fish while man-made habitats include boat ramps, marinas, piers, docks, and bridge pilings. The Waco Inland Fisheries District worked with Bosque and Hill County 4H members and other volunteers on two separate occasions to assemble and deploy both commercial and PVC fish habitat structures to help attract and hold sportfish for bank and boat anglers.

Lake Whitney currently provides some of the best striped bass fishing in the state, with March through May being the best months. Bank fishermen are most successful fishing below sand or gravel bars on the Nolan and Brazos Rivers above the reservoir. In the main lake, fishermen fish on windswept sandy beaches using shad or inland silverside ("ghost minnows") for bait. Boat fishermen find stripers in the open reservoir feeding on large schools of shad or near submerged brush or timber. Topwater lures, jigs, and live bait are all effective at this time of year.

All species at Whitney Lake are managed under standard Texas statewide regulations.