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Summer is here, so head to the lake.
Paris has two major lakes, Pat Mayse Reservoir and Lake Crook. Paris also has a fishing pond behind the Love Civic Center that is open to the public. All fishing on public water requires as fishing license which can be purchased at Wal-Mart. Some people wonder why you have to buy a license just to catch a fish. The reason is because the money is the source of revenue for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which protects our states natural resources.
The Love Civic Center pond is stocked with perch and catfish, features a pier and is so conveniently located that you can fish on your lunch break.Lake Crook, located just 3 miles north of Paris on 271 (entrance on west side just past Campbell Soup) was the original water source for the city of Paris and was built in XXXX. Waterskiing or tubing on Lake Crook is possible (and at one time even boasted of a ski ramp) the size and depth prevent many water sport enthusiasts from using it. It is much more used as a fishing lake with crappie, bass and catfish and in the winter is good waterfowl hunting spot (a hunting license and waterfowl stamps are required).
Pat Mayse is a tremendous asset for our community. Completed in XXX, this Army Corps of Engineers lake is over 6,000 acres with 3 ramps at Sanders Cove, 2 ramps at Park West a ramp at Lamar Point, and a private enterance owned and maintained by the Kiwanis. Tons of camping and RV hookups make this one of the areas weekend camping destinations. Picnic area are also available at each of the Park areas. A brand new floating dock at Pat Mayse B Loop attracts the boaters that don’t want to put in and then drive their boat up on the shore while parking the trailer.Pat Mayse is beautiful in that it has no developments whatsoever on the shore line, and in turn, this keeps the lake free of debris and litter that plague lakes such as Cypress Springs in Mt. Pleasant.
The fishing is good with striper, large mouth bass, perch, crappie and catfish being the most sought after fish. Fishermen compete weekly to see see who can bring in the most weight in bass, but the big tournament of the year is the Uncle Jesse Big Bass Classic which boasts a $5000 purse and draws professional anglers from all over.
If you are a skier, tuber, jet skier, or wakeboarder in Paris, this is your home lake. Several coves on the south side keep the water skiable up to about 14 mile per hour winds. And while Saturdays, Sundays and especially 4th of July and Labor Day are packed, most people are just hanging out, swimming and cruising. The time to ski is weekdays in the evenings. Tuesday evenings at 6pm can be a little difficult putting in as the weekly fishing tournament start at Sanders Cove B Loop, but once they the fishermen jet off at straight up 6, you won’t see them again. You will have the lake virtually to yourself.
The last but definitely not least feature of Pat Mayse is the 10 mile mountain biking loop trail at Sanders Cove. It’s single track and as technically challenging as any mountain biking trail you could hope for, so wear a helmet. It is steep and beautiful. Watch for another article just about this great trail. If you’re not into mountain biking, it is also a beautiful hike, but be considerate of the mountain bikers by stepping off the single track and allowing them to pass by..
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