Best place to camp/fish?

[Chritaka]

We're looking for a place within roughly 1-2 hours of Arlington to camp and fish for a couple days. I haven't been since I was in my teens and shit changes... We don't need a lot, we'll be taking a tent and our own supplies so the sites don't have to have electricity/water, but showers/water close by would be good.

We were going to go to Cleburne State Park, but they're apparently doing some road work and will be closed around the time we were looking to go. I used to love that place when I was younger. It had great fishing, quiet, kind of secluded and not real busy. I'm trying to find something similar...

I was looking at maybe Turner Falls, but that would kinda suck as we just bought our Tx. licenses and would have to buy OK ones, not a big deal though. I'm not sure what the camping is like there, but they apparently are first come, first serve and have 500 tent sites? It would suck to get there and then find out they're full...

I had been to Cedar Hill State Park a long time ago as well, but was never really impressed with the fishing at Joe Pool. Sites aren't real private and secluded... I remember that all the tent sites really sucked...

I've heard Ray Roberts is great for fishing, but I'm not sure about the camping. I've never been camping or fishing there. Apparently there's 2 parks, Isle du Bois and Johnson Branch? Can anyone fill me in on this one, where to go and what to expect?

Looking for some pointers/suggestions on the above or anything new, throw me your fav's... If you've got a camp spot in particular or part of the park you prefer, let me know that too. Looking for something close to the water, but no real fish preference... I just want the wife to catch something, but a nice catfish or bass would be nice.

*If they allow pets that would be good too, we'd like to tak our Lab, but not a requirement...

[GrayStangGT]

Purtis Creek State Park or for something more rural(no water or electricity) Black Creek Lake in the LBJ Grasslands by Decatur is good too

Map of Black Creek

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=lbj+national+grasslands&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=lbj+national+grasslands&hnear=&radius=15000&ll=33.343167,-97.594943&spn=0.009841,0.022616&t=h&z=16

[fredfarmer]

Purtis Creek State Park

x2

[SSMAN]

Mineral Wells state park is a great place too.

[mstng86]

Lake bob sandlin in east Texas was nice. Lake Murray was really nice too.

[78X]

Lake Murray or Lake Purdis

[Blackpony]

Lake texhoma is a great place to camp and fish! Murray is ok at best. I believe if you stay on the tx side at texhoma, you will be fine with your tx license..

[j351w]

Cooper Lake State Park - Its small but very nice.The only bad thing its about 2 1/2 hour drive east of Dallas.

[Leah]

We have tried many places, but always end up going back to the Johnson Branch at Ray Roberts. Our favorite spot is a 'hike-in' spot, but it's not but 30 yards from the parking lot. No one around and close to bathroom. It's a great park.

[dmh165638]

Ray Roberts would be my vote also. Don't waste your time fishing at Turner Falls. If you catch anything it would be extremely small.

[slow55]

Ray Roberts is nice, Mineral Wells is a nice little place also with hiking trails and stuff but I'mnot sure if I would go out there right now with the fires going on at PK. I don't know how the air would be with it being that close.
If you are willing to drive a little more than 2 hours look up Inks state park. It's in the hill country NW of Austin. Beautiful area, lots of trials and even one of those cave tours right there. Decent fishing too.

[95DRGT]

Tyler State Park

[stevo]

Tyler State Park

Tyler State Park is really nice.

Stevo

[KBScobravert]

Lake texhoma is a great place to camp and fish! Murray is ok at best. I believe if you stay on the tx side at texhoma, you will be fine with your tx license..

There is nothing like getting on the lake and boating to an island to camp on the beach for a few days.

The hiking/camping trails on Texhoma are pretty nice too. I took a week and hiked the entire trail staying in a spot for a day or so and breaking camp and moving on another few miles up the trail.

We camp primitive with poncho tents and purify our own water kind of things on those kinds of trips. Eat what we catch with collapsible poles supplemented by food we bring in.

Trips to the islands we take a little more with us and camp a little more comfortably.

I am not a big fan of the small camp sites off of concrete paths with tables and premade fire pits. Just not my style.

[KBScobravert]

We have tried many places, but always end up going back to the Johnson Branch at Ray Roberts. Our favorite spot is a 'hike-in' spot, but it's not but 30 yards from the parking lot. No one around and close to bathroom. It's a great park.

When is the next GTG Colorado trip? How is the weather during that time in September?