YANTIS, Texas (KETK) — KETK’s Neal Barton traveled to Lake Fork on Wednesday to salute the community at the W.C. Swearingen recreation area.

Lake Fork sits between the towns of Quitman, Alba, Emory and Yantis and is one of the most popular lakes for fishing in Texas.

Neal Barton spoke with Don Hampton, vice president of Texas Trails Bassmasters of Lake Fork, who told him although the lake is low currently, it is easier to fish on.

Hampton said the lake is about 42-years-old and was formed for the Dallas water supply. Lake Fork holds the state record for 33 of the 50 largest bass caught in Texas.

Many people visit Lake Fork to fish for bass. Hampton has a newsletter called the Fisherman’s Guide News You Can Use, you can find it here.

Troy Henry, regional manager of Sabine River Authority joined us to share some information about Lake Fork. He said the lake is about a 28,000 surface acre water supply. There is a one-mile walking trail and a lot of shoreline for recreation and fishing.

Sabine River Authority also owns and operates Lake Tawakoni. Henry said that Lake Fork is about six and a half feet lower than it should be and the area has only had 13 inches of rain since January.

Neal Barton spoke with Carolyn West, the president of the Lake Fork Sportsman’s Association, who said their mission is to preserve the legend of the wonderful lake. They were just awarded a grant from TPWD to grow more grasses.

The association has a program with Winnsboro, Alba-Golden and Yantis high schools to grow aquatic grasses. They teach the agriculture students to pot the grasses and keep them in aquatic tanks until they are ready to be taken to the lake.

Jay and Rhonda Reeve are hosting the fifth annual Texas Jack ‘n Jill Crappie Classic to raise money for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. The event is set for Saturday, July 23 on Lake Fork from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will have all male and female teams. The cost is $100 per team. Click here for more details.