Lake O' the Pines
Stumps, timber, and two kinds of big catfish.
Our home water in East Texas. Here is the stuff that keeps you legal and keeps you in the boat. What we will not give you is a GPS pin.
A lake full of stumps
Standing and submerged timber are part of this reservoir. Water levels can hide hazards. Slow down, watch your route, and follow official navigation markers.
Where the fish hold
Fish location changes with temperature, oxygen, forage and cover. A sonar mark does not measure oxygen. Treat any reported depth as a trip-specific observation, not a fixed rule.
Markers mean something
In the family account, Dad treats a marked stump as a reason to slow down. An informal marker does not establish what happened there or prove fish are present. Follow official navigation guidance.
Regulations
Know the limits before the line goes in.
Read straight from Texas Parks and Wildlife on September 6, 2026. We link the official page on purpose. If this table and TPWD ever disagree, TPWD is right and we fix the table.
A rule you can see · Lake O’ the Pines only
Crappie: the winter rule is different.
December 1 through the last day of February: retain every crappie caught, up to the 25-fish daily combined limit. The 25-fish limit applies year-round. Check the official rule before your trip.
TPWD lake rule · Checked September 6, 2026 ↗Lake O’ the Pines
Regulation snapshot
Read from TPWD on September 6, 2026
| Species | Minimum length | Daily bag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel and blue catfish | No minimum length | 25 per day, combined | Only 10 of the 25 may be 20 inches or longer. |
| Flathead catfish | 18 inches | 5 per day | |
| Crappie (white and black) | 10 inches, March through November. No minimum December 1 through the last day of February. | 25 per day, combined | During the winter no-minimum season, every crappie caught must be kept and counts toward your bag. |
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass | 14 inches | 5 black bass per day, any combination | No minimum on Alabama, Guadalupe, or spotted bass. |
| White bass | 10 inches | 25 per day | |
| Alligator gar | Any size | 1 per day | Harvested alligator gar must be reported to TPWD within 24 hours. Temporary spawning closures may apply. |
Before you keep fish for a meal
Check more than the bag limit.
A legal catch and a fish-consumption advisory answer different questions. Check the exact waterbody and species before planning a meal.
Open the DSHS advisory map ↗Lake O’ the Pines · Sources checked September 6, 2026
What the state’s records say
DSHS lists Lake O’ the Pines among waters tested without consumption advisories. The survey year shown is 1994. That is a historical test record, not a current test of the fish you catch today.
DSHS says it does not routinely test every Texas waterbody. Use its current map for the place you actually fished, and follow any species-specific advice shown there.
Trotlines
Freshwater trotline rules in Texas
Trotlines are allowed for specified species under Texas rules, with location and gear restrictions. Every one of these comes from the TPWD Outdoor Annual. Print the checklist and run it before every set.
- Permitted catch: nongame fish plus blue, channel and flathead catfish. Do not take bass or crappie by trotline.
- A valid gear tag on the trotline, attached within 3 feet of the first hook at each end.
- Gear tags are valid for 6 days after the date you set the line out.
- Non-commercial floats must be any color other than orange, at least 6 inches long and 3 inches wide.
- No more than 50 hooks on any one trotline.
- No more than 100 hooks per angler across freshwater devices combined.
- Mainline no longer than 600 feet.
- Hooks at least 3 horizontal feet apart.
- No metallic stakes. Mainline, hooks, and stagings stay below the surface.
- Trotlines are not allowed on community fishing lakes and some named waters. Check the list.
Giving fish away
The freezer runs on paperwork too.
Texas lets you give or receive legally caught fish that are covered by a bag or possession limit when the fish travel with a Wildlife Resource Document where one is required. The document stays with the fish until they reach the recipient's home, cold storage, or a processor.
Read the TPWD transfer rules →How Dad reads the water level
Read the bank. Check the gauge.
Dad calls it normal pool when the water is up on the red clay bank. Bushes standing four or five feet tall on the shoreline are normally under water. Stumps sitting right at the edge of the water tell you where the level has been. Those are Dad’s observations from particular trips. Changing water levels can change access and fish location; use current official levels and conditions before launching.
The full lesson from the boat →