A fishing guide built state by state
State Fishing Spots lists public fishing water state by state: lakes, rivers and coastal bays, with the boat ramps, piers, limits, records and water levels for each one.
Texas is the first state because it sells more fishing licenses than any other. Further states are added in order of license sales, and only once every page for that state is finished, so there are no half built states and no links to pages that do not exist yet.
Where the facts come from
- State wildlife agenciesLake ratings, access points, regulations, records and stocking. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for Texas.
- Texas Water Development BoardReservoir levels and percent full, read every hour.
- U.S. Geological SurveyRiver flow and gauge height from the national water data system.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceLicense holder counts used to choose which states come first.
- U.S. Census BureauCounty and town locations used for the nearest lake lists.
- Wikimedia CommonsMost photos, each credited on the page with its license.
Each page shows the date its facts were checked.
How pages stay current
Pages are generated from the agency data sets listed above. When an agency publishes new regulations, stocking or records, the affected pages are rebuilt from the new files. Water levels and river flows are fetched hourly and do not need a rebuild.
If you spot a closed ramp, a moved shop or a figure that looks wrong, send it through the contact page with the name of the water. Corrections are checked against the source before the page changes.
Who runs it
The site is built and maintained by Tennessee Web Dev in Knoxville, Tennessee. It earns money from affiliate links on gear pages, described on the affiliate disclosure page.
Questions about this site
Who runs State Fishing Spots?
Tennessee Web Dev, a web studio in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Why did Texas come first?
Texas has the most paid fishing license holders of any state in the USFWS certification data.
Which state is next?
Florida, then California, following license sales. Each is added only when complete.
Are the regulations official?
They are copied from the state agency with a date. The agency publication is the legal version, so check it before you keep fish.
How often are water levels updated?
Every hour for Texas reservoirs and USGS river gauges.
Where do the photos come from?
Mostly Wikimedia Commons, credited with the photographer and license on each page.
Can I suggest a lake or a correction?
Yes, use the contact page.
Does the site sell anything?
No. Some gear links are affiliate links, which pay a small commission at no cost to you.