REKLAW, Texas — There are lots of reasons lakes are built in Texas.
Some lakes are built as water supplies and some are for recreation. But, there is one East Texas lake built to be home to a power plant and when it comes to crappie fishing, it might just be the region's best kept secret.
On this week's Hooked on East Texas, we ventured deep into the Piney Woods to a lake built in the 1950s with our Jeff Miller, his dog She-She, and Wesley Holloway. These two guys know Lake Striker and know where to find fish.
Miller and Holloway sunk cedar trees in the lake to create new fish habitats, and it worked. Miller says Striker is a diamond in the woods.
“I call it the hidden gem. It doesn't get a lot of fishing pressure, and there's lots of fish," Miller said.
Lake Striker straddles the Rusk-Cherokee County line, covers 24 acres and is home to a power plant. It's also home to the Lake Striker Resort.
The lake's fishing pier was rebuilt after a tornado hit it in March of 2020. It also has a Texas flag on the roof that’s visible from space.
“If you go, like, say, you go on google map, that Texas flag has been up there since the early 60s," said Leonard Nicol, owner of Lake Striker Resort.
Nicol says the lake remains largely unknown, and the locals like it that way -- well most of them, except for Nicol.
"They don't want it crowded, but we're spreading the news because we think it's a good little lake, and we'd like to see more people out here," said Nicol.
“But another thing that a lot of people miss about Lake Striker compared to Lake Tyler," Holloway said. "Lake Tyler is great, but sometimes it can get crowded."
That means, on Lake Striker, there’s room for more recreational boaters and anglers.
Holloway and Miller call Striker a year-round lake. When it’s cold, the power plant generates hydro-electric power and the fishing heats up.
“And another thing that's a good fish, another thing that we that that power plant does is lets warm water out on the spillway," said Miller. "And in the wintertime, you can go fish that a lot of people get over, and fish that warm water and catch lots of good fish."
Warm or cold water, it doesn’t matter. Fish will follow typical seasonal patterns on Lake Striker but just before a storm arrives, like on this cloudy day, Miller’s noticed a connection.
“Anytime you get low pressure fresh low pressure coming in, it makes the fish bite better," Miller said. "And then, of course, high pressure kind of turns them off. A lot of time. There's another good one that's another good one. See, we're sitting here. We've done caught about five just sitting here, talking."
Both Miller and Holloway know there’s a balance between more anglers and the lake’s water quality. Invasive species are always a threat, so they ask anglers to clean and dry their boats before coming to the lake.
“When you get home before your next fishing trip, make sure you clean your boat thoroughly, wash it out on the inside and outside, to remove everything, just so you do not transport another invasive species from one lake to the other," said Holloway.
That will keep the fish biting, the lake healthy and the water quality good well into the future.