NORTHEAST TEXAS -- Wright Patman Lake is gaining recognition as one of the country's best lakes to fish at during the Thanksgiving holiday.
Wright Patman was recently named as a Top 11 Thanksgiving fishing location, according to fishingbooker.com.
"This time of year, we've always seen an uptick in our campgrounds," said Matt Seavey, lake manager of Wright Patman with the Army Corps of Engineers. "They come here for fishing and visitation for families."
Seavey said Wright Patman brings over 1 million visitors a year to the lake area.
"A lot of people don't realize that. It provides a pretty good economic boom to a lot of the local stores and businesses," he said.
The lake grounds boast over 20,000 acres of water and twice as many acres of surrounding land. Each campground has its own boat ramps for easy access to the lake.
The waters feature fish such as largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, blue catfish and much more. Seavey said the diversity of fish available at Wright Patman is very important to attracting anglers to the area.
"I've noticed a lot of people, if they're out fishing and one fish isn't biting, they'll just switch to another one. So it just gives them a better opportunity to catch something," Seavey said.
He said a lot of people come to the lake area for bird watching around this time of year, as well.
"Especially in the off season, we get a lot of snowbirds coming from a lot of different states to spend the winter time down here," Seavey said. "We get pelicans and a lot of other migratory birds into the area. And obviously ducks for duck hunters, too."
Seavey said the lake's staff is trying to increase the recreational opportunities at Wright Patman, hoping to add a disc golf course soon, in addition to other features.
"Every year, there's just little different things that happen here. We just always try to be a part of the community," he said.
To learn more about Wright Patman Lake, visit swf-wc.usace.army.mil/wrightpatman/.