Considering Making the Move From CA to TX — Anyone Live Close to Lake Fork?

[Smallies]

Just in the very beginning stages of research, but I know I want to move the family out of CA in the next 1-3 years, and I'm trying to find a good spot either in Texas or maybe Florida.  Obviously, in Texas, Lake Fork is an amazing fishing lake, and they have golf nearby (so I'm covered haha) but there isn't much for the wife to do out there, at least as far as I know.  

 

Anyone live near or on Lake Fork, or Quitman or Alba, can tell me a little bit what it's like to live there year round.  Also, do y'all get snow very often in that part of the state?  What about tornadoes etc (what, exactly IS a safe room and how safe is it?).  Any info would be good info.

 

Thanks guys.

[TnRiver46]

Safest is a basement or storm shelter underground. Tornados are scary but not nearly as scary as the highway (i probably shouldn’t have said that, one is predicted today). I’ve been to quitman once but I was camping on fork and fishing , didn’t go into town. Seemed like a very small town 

[RDB]

I would suggest posting something on the Texas forum.  There are a lot of Fork guides and locals that post there.  There are a lot of nice folks on that site but a few that are salty, so if someone says choose Florida, just ignore them ?.  Snow is rare and I have lived in Texas most of my life and have never seen a tornado.  As far as safe rooms, an interior windowless room or the bathtub is probably what 99% of Texans use (I have never used either).  There is not a lot to do around Fork (outside of outdoor activities) but regular civilization is not far away.  There are also a LOT of other excellent lakes in Texas that are less rural if activities for the wife is critical.

[Trox]

If I was you I would move just east of HW635 on the outskirts of Dallas near Mesquite... Makes it roughly an hour drive to both Lake Fork or Richland-Chambers Reservoire (which is also a big bass hangout - yet underrated), but close to everything. 

[Smallies]

On 1/1/2022 at 3:26 PM, RDB said:

  There are also a LOT of other excellent lakes in Texas that are less rural if activities for the wife is critical.

Which ones would you recommend?  I was looking at Keller and Ray Roberts is out there, but it looks like there are like 5 other lakes right around there.  How is Keller area with crime and what not, and which of those surrounding lakes would you recommend for Largemouth/smallmouth fishing?  Thanks for the info, man!

On 1/1/2022 at 8:11 PM, TroxBox said:

If I was you I would move just east of HW635 on the outskirts of Dallas near Mesquite... Makes it roughly an hour drive to both Lake Fork or Richland-Chambers Reservoire (which is also a big bass hangout - yet underrated), but close to everything. 

Oh yeah, Mesquite looks good ... Thanks!

[RDB]

35 minutes ago, Smallies said:

Which ones would you recommend?  I was looking at Keller and Ray Roberts is out there, but it looks like there are like 5 other lakes right around there.  How is Keller area with crime and what not, and which of those surrounding lakes would you recommend for Largemouth/smallmouth fishing?  Thanks for the info, man!

All of the area around Keller is nice and Ray Roberts is a good lake (that’s where the Bassmaster Classic was last year).  I have attached a link to the Texas Parks & Wildlife fishing reports by region.  If you click on a region and then click on a lake, it will give you all the specifics for that lake.  It also has links for the stocking history and lake records.

 

https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/fishreport.phtml

 

Hope that helps.

 

Edit:  You are not going to find a lot of great smallmouth fishing in Texas.  O.H. Ivie has produced some good ones recently but I’m not aware of many folks who actively fish smallies in Texas.

[Smallies]

23 minutes ago, RDB said:

All of the area around Keller is nice and Ray Roberts is a good lake (that’s where the Bassmaster Classic was last year).  I have attached a link to the Texas Parks & Wildlife fishing reports by region.  If you click on a region and then click on a lake, it will give you all the specifics for that lake.  It also has links for the stocking history and lake records.

 

https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/fishreport.phtml

 

Hope that helps.

 

Edit:  You are not going to find a lot of great smallmouth fishing in Texas.  O.H. Ivie has produced some good ones recently but I’m not aware of many folks who actively fish smallies in Texas.

Thanks dude, really helpful.

[thediscochef]

This is an older thread but naturally it's my home area so I feel obligated to comment.

Lots if great advice here, I was going to suggest the east side of the Metroplex for maximum of both amenities and access to good bass water. East side puts you closest to lake fork, richland chambers, tawakoni, cedar creek, lavon, lewisville, ray roberts, grapevine, arlington, and ray Hubbard. West side has some older reservoirs and closer access to possum kingdom. Both sides are within a couple hours of Lake Whitney and also Texoma which are absolutely worth fishing. Smallies are probably best in the north half of the state but generally never get much above 7-8lbs max so your options for that are limited. But there's excellent LMB, Crappie, and Gar fishing out this way. And if you go down south you can seek out Guadalupe Bass. As much as the human population size here makes me insane, it is a pretty awesome place to live if you're into black bass and also Costco 

[roadwarrior]

I have been looking around  and plan to move near Ray Roberts this summer.

 

https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ray-roberts-lake

[RDB]

30 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

I have been looking around  and plan to move near Ray Roberts this summer.

 

https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ray-roberts-lake

FYI…a little over an hour east of Ray Roberts around the town of Bonham they are building a ~16k acre reservoir called Bois D’Ark.  Last I looked it was in the process of filling but it could be a jewel.

 

https://boisdarclake.org

[Trox]

11 hours ago, thediscochef said:

I was going to suggest the east side of the Metroplex for maximum of both amenities and access to good bass water. East side puts you closest to lake fork, richland chambers, tawakoni, cedar creek, lavon, lewisville, ray roberts, grapevine, arlington, and ray Hubbard.

If my wife ever leaves me, this is where I'm moving  I've already proposed it to her but it got shot down for some strange reason ?‍♂️

 

 

[thediscochef]

On 2/1/2022 at 11:42 AM, RDB said:

FYI…a little over an hour east of Ray Roberts around the town of Bonham they are building a ~16k acre reservoir called Bois D’Ark.  Last I looked it was in the process of filling but it could be a jewel.

 

https://boisdarclake.org

I have been following it...should be good in a handful of years. 

 

On 2/1/2022 at 11:06 AM, roadwarrior said:

I have been looking around  and plan to move near Ray Roberts this summer.

 

https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ray-roberts-lake

I will see you there. My goal is 100 visits this year ?

[Smallies]

Thanks guys, sounds like TX, and that area in particular, is a real Mecca.  @thediscochef you said you do like living there, other than how many people there are?  I'd be moving from CA so, pretty much, anything is an improvement for me as far as taxes/crime/etc

[roadwarrior]

https://www.cityofpilotpoint.org/217/About

 

No state income tax, low crime (VERY high regard for law enforcement), low to modest

cost of living. 

[Tennessee Boy]

On 2/1/2022 at 11:06 AM, roadwarrior said:

I have been looking around  and plan to move near Ray Roberts this summer.

 

https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ray-roberts-lake

Did we do something in Tennessee to offend you?

[thediscochef]

On 2/3/2022 at 10:19 AM, roadwarrior said:

https://www.cityofpilotpoint.org/217/About

 

No state income tax, low crime (VERY high regard for law enforcement), low to modest

cost of living. 

Pilot point is good. Kinda small on amenities but Jordan Unit is in town and it's close enough to Denton and Frisco that you can find stuff for the Mrs. Buck Creek Launch is maybe 10 minutes north and is well known for bigger fish in the TPWD fishing reports. The metroplex continues to grow at an extremely rapid pace. There's a lot of people but I don't really run into too much overcrowding at lakes unless it's a holiday, or unless it's the first "nice" day in weeks. Denton is beginning to see some of the crime that comes along with extremely rapid growth of a college town. Also Denton County is in the top 5 flooded counties in Texas. If you buy in Denton County, be mindful about the drainage of the location.

 

I'd have to find somewhere else with an equal number of good waters before I'd even think about moving really. I'm not sure where else in the country I can be at a dozen or more large reservoirs in less than two hours. It would take a lot to move me out of here.

[roadwarrior]

Thank you!

 

Big O had some nice things to say about the area, too.

 

[RDB]

On 2/3/2022 at 10:19 AM, roadwarrior said:

low to modest

cost of living

One of the nice things about Texas v. many other states is you get a lot for your money.  I don’t know what Germantown is like but I know housing costs in the Nashville area have exploded.

 

On 2/3/2022 at 7:43 AM, Smallies said:

I'd be moving from CA

You can afford 3 homes with CA prices.  I lived in the Bay Area 30 years ago and had a close friend transfer there before the last housing crash.  He paid more for an 1800 sq ft, no yard home in Burlingame than I paid for 6000+ ft on 3 acres 30 minutes outside of Dallas.  And it was quite a bit more.

[roadwarrior]

I am going to get about $150 per square foot here in Germantown. The new housing neighborhood I am focused on near Pilots Point, TX is $180 psf. I am downsizing

from just under 4000 square feet to 1800.

[RDB]

29 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

I am downsizing

from just under 4000 square feet to 1800.

2 more kids left and I’m with you.  Frankly you could give me 800 sq ft and a shop and I would be good to go.  Unfortunately the wife is a little more high maintenance.

[Foretwoone]

Not sure if you're still considering a move. I live dead smack between lake tawakoni and lake fork so it's about 20 minutes either way. I've lived as far west as Mesquite, lived in Forney for a while and now out here for 3 years. I would HIGHLY recommend not moving anywhere near the metroplex. I'm a truck driver so there's not an area of Texas I'm not familiar with. Until you get an hour outside the city you're gonna be limited to subdivisions with small(honestly downright tiny) plots of land and relatively high taxes. Take a look at Van Zandt or Rains county, you'll get some land and pay low taxes, get a small town feel, the crime is lower, no HOAs telling you what to do to your property.... But expect to drive a little more. 

If you're looking to be near lake fork, look into Edgewood, Emory, Alba, Golden. Coming from Cali you can probably get double or triple what you're moving out of for less money and some acreage. 

[Cbump]

On 12/28/2021 at 9:55 AM, Smallies said:

Just in the very beginning stages of research, but I know I want to move the family out of CA in the next 1-3 years, and I'm trying to find a good spot either in Texas or maybe Florida.  Obviously, in Texas, Lake Fork is an amazing fishing lake, and they have golf nearby (so I'm covered haha) but there isn't much for the wife to do out there, at least as far as I know.  

 

Anyone live near or on Lake Fork, or Quitman or Alba, can tell me a little bit what it's like to live there year round.  Also, do y'all get snow very often in that part of the state?  What about tornadoes etc (what, exactly IS a safe room and how safe is it?).  Any info would be good info.

 

Thanks guys.

Couple things.
 

Lake Fork is cool but east Texas is pretty much a crap hole. 
 

You might see a small amount of snow once a year. Like 1 day. 

 

Lived in Texas my whole life and have never even thought twice about tornados. Nor has anyone I know. Not really a thing people actually worry about imo.