Amistad National Recreation Area / Lake Amistad

Fishing Guide and Tournaments

67,000 acres of water along 540 miles of U.S. shoreline - this is Lake Amistad, one of the largest, clearest lakes in Texas!

Lake Amistad is considered by many to be Del Rio's biggest draw, offering acres of blue glass on the Texas/Mexico border. The lake is part of Amistad Recreation Area, managed by the National Park Service. It is fed by the Pecos, Rio Grande, and Devil's River; limestone deposits and solid earth lend the water an extraordinary clarity and deep turquoise quality.

Amistad is the Spanish word for "friendship," and certainly the two countries building the lake felt the tie of friendship. In fact, the U.S. and Mexico had two bronze eagles placed at the center of the international dam to evoke the spirit of cooperation between the two countries. Formed in the 1960s, the lake and dam were originally conceived as a reservoir and power plant with an eye toward recreational use. The Acuña flood of 1954 was still fresh in the minds of many, and so the dam was also a method of flood control. While the lake still serves all these purposes, recreation is now its primary use.

Amistad Recreation Area attracts people internationally not just for boating and houseboating, but also camping, waterskiing and wakeboarding, nature hikes, and especially fishing. The lake holds several variations of bass, catfish, sunfish, and gar, not to mention various other fish species. Lake Amistad is known as one of the best bass lakes in the country; with warm weather nine months out of the year, Amistad can be fished when other lakes have little to offer. Tournaments are held here several times a year, with anglers catching bass weighing eight pounds and more on a regular basis. Notably, the big bass for 1997 weighed in at 14.57 pounds. See the tournament page for lake events and the fishing guide for information about guides and rentals.

Birdwatching has become a major recreational draw at the lake. The area is home to more than 300 species of birds, including migratory tropical species, such as the great kiskadee, and residents like the scaled quail. The territories of Carolina and cactus wrens overlap at Del Rio; there is even an occasional eagle sighting.

Many of the best examples of prehistoric Native American petroglyphs in North America are local, with a few, such as the Parida and Panther caves, accessible by boat. See the rock art page for more information about local petroglyphs.

Call for schedule of special tours and presentations.

For more information:
Amistad National Recreation Area
HCR 3, Box 5-J
Del Rio, TX 78840-9350
(830) 775-7491
nps.gov/amis