One Of The South's Largest Lakes Is A Border-Crossing Glistening Beauty With Shoreside Cabins

On the map, the Toledo Bend Reservoir looks like a frond of a giant sword fern. The long, skinny lake's perimeter is a fractal, convoluted fringe, as its shimmering fingers spread out between hills in the Piney Woods of East Texas, creating hundreds of tiny, fjord-like bayous. Although it's 65 miles long, the manmade lake on the Sabine River along the Texas-Louisiana border has over 1,200 miles of shoreline, a great deal of which is wild and remote. For comparison's sake, the coast of California is just 840 miles long. 

Toledo Bend is a great destination for a fishing adventure, with some of the country's best bass fishing, along with catfish and crappie. Throw in the odd alligator hunt, and you have the kind of destination where sporting families forage for food and fun, and parents pass on fishing lore to their children, teaching them the art of the "Texas rig," "jig-n-craw," and "deep crank bait." 

National parks and private campgrounds surround the lake, so you can camp in an RV with a full hookup or in your tent for free. Or you can rent a picturesque lakefront cabin with a dock — but you'd better call it a "fish camp" if you want to sound like a local. The lakeshore is dotted with these rentals, with names like Angler's Paradise and Little Minnow. The lake is around four hours from Dallas or Houston, but it's well-positioned to be a great addition to your scenic Texas road trip. And on the Louisiana side, you can see a lot of the sights by following the Toledo Bend Forest Scenic Byway, with stops for fishing and frolicking. 

This is the kind of fishing destination where there's a certain intimidation factor, so if you're not already a lifetime subscriber to Bassmaster Magazine, take heed: The hidden tree stumps and spiky cypress knees that hide along the shoreline pose a hazard to navigation for novice boaters, and local knowledge is essential to finding the best fishing spots, so if this is your first time visiting, hiring a local guide to drive the boat and find the fish is a good way to go.

If you're a kayak fisher, or just enjoy a recreational paddle, the barriers to entry are fewer. While Louisiana has some of the country's most scenic paddle trails, like those at Chicot State Park, the Texas side of Toledo Bend also boasts magical bayou backwaters you can endlessly explore by canoe or kayak. The Sandals & Spurs Resort – as charming as it sounds — rents them out, and from there you can make a daylong expedition up the Palo Gaucho Bayou paddling through cypress and lily pads on the 9-mile Harborlight Run Paddle Trail.

On the Texas side of Toledo Bend Reservoir, the place you'll be buying your bait and propane from is the friendly little town of Hemphill. Time your grocery run for Saturday morning, and you can get a taste of Texas at the Sabine Farmer & Artisan's Market, next door to the post office, where locally baked pies and cakes, pickled preserves, and even smoked meats and beans put up in mason jars are on offer. As are handmade pot holders, aprons, and dolls. Be warned, though, that the people who lovingly created these delights are so warm and welcoming you could end up chatting the day away.

On the Louisiana side, South Toledo Bend State Park is the kind of campground your parents took you to teach you to fish, and where you take your own kids to teach them when they're ready to learn. It's also popular with boaters, bicyclists, and birders who come to see the nesting balk eagles. And this park's designated swim area is one of several on the lake.

On the Texas side, stay at Al's Waterfront RV Resort on the lake near Hemphill and you can amble over to the Sportsman's Cafe for a 16 oz burger the size of a dinner plate — just be sure to bring a friend to help you eat it. Or for a true wilderness experience, the Indian Mounds Campground is a marvelous hidden gem just 13 miles from Hemphill, with spacious lakefront campsites, picnic tables, shared water spigots, and vault toilets. Park under the trees, and you can hang a hammock and spend a quiet day reading a book and watching the boats go by. 

Before diving into that inviting water for a swim, though, consider this: Toledo Bend Reservoir is teeming with alligators and snapping turtles, along with one of the strangest looking creatures on this planet — the alligator snapping turtle. This one-time Cajun delicacy, a horned bruiser with a truly menacing appearance that can reach 175 pounds, is endangered today and illegal to hunt (and yes, in case you're wondering, it tastes like chicken). Also don't be surprised if you see a rattlesnake going for a swim, as there are many snakes that dwell in these waters. Now how about that dip?