Located on the west side of San Angelo, on the North Concho River in Tom Green County in Texas is the O.C. Fisher Lake. The lake has a surface area of 5440 acres and a depth of 58 feet. O.C. Fisher Lake was impounded in 1953 by the US Army Corps of Engineers to prevent San Angelo and other areas below the dam from flooding. Other purposes behind the impoundment of the dam were boosting recreation and water supply in the region.
This lake was first called San Angelo Lake but was later renamed in 1975 after local U.S. Congressman O.C. Fisher. This lake today stands in the same place where the first evidence of Native American presence was discovered dating back some 18,000 years. The very first settlers of this area were the Paleo-American hunters whose game was giant Ice Age mammals. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Spaniards explored the area and established missions for the Jumano Indians.
Today, O.C. Fisher Lake attracts thousands of visitors every month with the many recreation activities lining its shores. One of them is the 7,677-acre San Angelo State Park, which was opened in May 1995 to satisfy the demands of outdoor recreationalists who wanted to explore the picturesque wilderness around O.C. Fisher Lake. The lake also captured the attention of some private investors who then continued to build south-shore resorts, a riding stable, and even an airstrip to draw in tourists.
O.C. Fisher Lake is located adjacent to the western city limits of San Angelo, off FM 853 and Mercedes Avenue.
From Big Spring, the lake is about an hour and a half drive away. If you driving down from Big Spring State Park, Take Pr 8 North, on to State Park Road 8, FM700 East and head West on Marcy Dr to US-87 S/S Gregg Street. Drive straight right onto US-87 S/S Gregg Street for at least 73.7 miles until you cross by Dairy Queen on the right. Continue down the old Sterling City Highway for another seven miles and you’ll reach your destination.
San Angelo State Park is owned and managed by the Army Corps of Engineers and offers a variety of campsites to RV campers. The campground has a total of 126 campsites, out of which 39 campsites come with 30/50 amp electric hookups and water hookups. Ten of the campsites are dedicated equestrian campsites. The largest sites can accommodate RVs up to 100 feet.
Each campsite has picnic tables, outdoor grills, water, shade shelters, fire rings, and restrooms with showers nearby. These campsites are located on the South Shore of the reservoir, which is closest to the town in the Red Arroyo Camping area.
The O.C. Fisher Lake is popular for its angling opportunities. The anglers catch catfish from various spots at the reservoir with live baits as well as prepared baits. Minnows and artificial lures are used to lure largemouth bass. Near the humps and drop-offs, white bass is caught abundantly along with white crappie. The recreation area loans reels, rods, and tackle boxes to enthusiastic campers.
Other predominant fish species found in the reservoir include channel, blue and flathead catfish, and sunfish. Anglers can get lucky and catch a few large fish every now and then. However, primarily, most of the fish in the reservoir are small panfish size.
The landscape around the O.C. Fisher Lake is dry and sandy, with large weeds and overgrown grass, and it makes for quite a hike for those on foot. For those more interested in mountain biking, the trails have a paved and solid track that offers good grip, allowing bikers to travel at speed.
There are more than 50 miles of extremely developed and marked multi-use trails for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use. Twenty miles of these trials are only for hikers and backpackers.
The semi-desert plains of San Angelo invites many species of wildlife to call it home. This makes this wilderness region a popular destination for hunters to track down various types of game. Deer, quail, javelina, feral hog, rabbit, hare, squirrels, waterfowl, geese, mallard, teal, and turkey are the most commonly hunted wildlife in the area.
Angelo State University has leased its lands to O.C. Fisher to allow for hunting. A proper license is needed to hunt in the O.C. Fisher Lake area. Follow the Hunting Map carefully to learn about the hunting rules and regulations of the O.C. Fisher Lake
Birdwatchers and photographers will return home a lot more enlightened than when they arrived, with the versatile bird population on display at O.C. Fisher Lake. There are bird blinds located in the park to provide excellent viewing spots where you can catch sight of many birds if you are quiet and observant.
Some common species near the reservoir include red-tailed hawks, Golden-fronted woodpeckers, ruby-crowned kinglets, great horned owls, American white pelicans, herons, egrets, grebes, and American Avocet.
Combined with the migratory birds, there are more than 300 species of birds that frequent the area every year.
The reservoir is open to all sorts of water sports, be it swimming, wading, boating, or fishing. The lake is not that deep, and there can be plenty of debris below the placid waters, so always swim or boat carefully and avoid areas that are densely vegetated to avoid getting stuck.
O.C. Fisher Lake is an amalgamation of four different ecological areas. It's a combination of high plains in the north, open prairie in the east, the Texas Hill Country in the south, and in the west, the dry Trans-Pecos. Because of this, a wide variety of plants and animals live here or pass through. Researchers and scientists have identified over 300 species of birds, and there are close to 50 species of mammals in this region.
