Lake Bob Sandlin Fishing Guides
A 9,400-acre north-east Texas reservoir on Big Cypress Creek, heavily timbered and best known for largemouth bass and a dependable crappie fishery.
Guides on the Lake Bob Sandlin
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About the Lake Bob Sandlin
Lake Bob Sandlin impounds Big Cypress Creek south-west of Mount Pleasant and sits in the middle of a chain of three reservoirs on the same drainage, with Lake Cypress Springs upstream and Lake Monticello downstream. At roughly 9,400 acres it is the kind of lake that rewards anglers who like structure: flooded timber through the upper half, hardwood-lined coves along the southern shore, and well-defined creek channels that give fish an obvious route between deep and shallow water. The surrounding country is rolling piney woods rather than open prairie, and a state park on the south shore makes this one of the easier east Texas reservoirs to fish without a boat.
Largemouth bass are the primary fishery, and the lake has a long-standing reputation for producing good numbers of solid fish rather than a handful of giants. The standing timber in the upper end is the classic water, worked slowly with jigs and soft plastics, while the deeper southern points fish better in high summer. Crappie are the second serious draw and are reliable almost year round, holding on brush piles and the bridge crossings. White bass school in open water, channel and blue catfish work the channel edges and the flats, and bluegill and longnose gar fill out the shallows. Several guides work the lake and the pressure is modest compared with the bigger east Texas names.
The gauge near Mount Pleasant reports pool elevation and precipitation rather than temperature, and the pool reading is the one that changes how the lake fishes. A full pool floods the timber and the shoreline brush and spreads bass through cover; a low pool strands that cover and concentrates fish on the creek channels and the main-lake points. Because the lake sits mid-chain, releases upstream and downstream can move the level independently of local rainfall.
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The photo at the top of this page is not Lake Bob Sandlin.
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Pool right now
- 24 hours0.00 ft → steady
- For the dateLow for the date
Reading taken 1h ago at USGS 07344489, Lk Bob Sandlin nr Mount Pleasant, TX. Elevation is the surface of the lake above the survey datum, not depth. Source.
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Access
Mount Pleasant - the gauge town north-east of the lake, with lodging, tackle and food.
Lake Bob Sandlin State Park - the south-shore park with a launch, shoreline access and camping.
Franklin County - the western end of the lake, closest to the upper timbered arms.
Big Cypress Creek inflow - the upper reach where the creek enters, best fishing after a rise.
Bob Sandlin Dam - the eastern structure and gauge reference point.
Lake Cypress Springs - the clearer reservoir immediately upstream, a good contrast on the same drainage.
Lake O' the Pines - the larger alternative an hour east when conditions here are poor.
Seasons
Spring: the best of the year, with largemouth bass spawning in the flooded timber and crappie moving shallow to brush.
Summer: productive early and late on the main-lake points, with catfish the dependable daytime target.
Fall: strong, as bass chase bait back into the creek arms and white bass school on the open water.
Winter: the crappie months, concentrated on deep brush and the bridge pilings, with very little competition.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Lake Bob Sandlin?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Blue Catfish, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Longnose Gar, White Bass, White Crappie on the Lake Bob Sandlin in Texas.
Where can you access the Lake Bob Sandlin?
Mount Pleasant - the gauge town north-east of the lake, with lodging, tackle and food. Lake Bob Sandlin State Park - the south-shore park with a launch, shoreline access and camping. Franklin County - the western end of the lake, closest to the upper timbered arms. Big Cypress Creek inflow - the upper reach where the creek enters, best fishing after a rise. Bob Sandlin Dam - the eastern structure and gauge reference point. Lake Cypress Springs - the clearer reservoir immediately upstream, a good contrast on the same drainage. Lake O' the Pines - the larger alternative an hour east when conditi...
When is the best time to fish the Lake Bob Sandlin?
Spring: the best of the year, with largemouth bass spawning in the flooded timber and crappie moving shallow to brush. Summer: productive early and late on the main-lake points, with catfish the dependable daytime target. Fall: strong, as bass chase bait back into the creek arms and white bass school on the open water. Winter: the crappie months, concentrated on deep brush and the bridge pilings, with very little competition.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Lake Bob Sandlin?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Texas agency site: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing