Falcon Lake (International Falcon Reservoir)

Zapata & Starr Counties, Texas

A large border reservoir on the Rio Grande between Zapata and Starr counties and Tamaulipas, Mexico, built in 1954. It is best known for big largemouth bass, with good catfish and crappie fishing when water levels allow.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Surface area83,654 acres

Max depth110 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsUnlimited horsepower

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Largemouth Bass●●●●●

Florida-strain fish stocked yearly. Work brush, points, humps and rock piles with spinnerbaits, crankbaits and Texas or Carolina rigs.

Channel Catfish●●●○○

Caught year-round on stink bait, shad, shrimp or sunfish. Channel cats make up most of the catfish harvest.

Blue Catfish●●●○○

Fish cut shad and natural baits along creek and river channels.

Crappie●●○○○

Numbers swing with water levels. Try brush and standing timber with minnows and small jigs.

When they bite

Month-by-month activity for each target species.

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Largemouth Bass
Channel Catfish
Blue Catfish
Crappie

SlowFairGoodHot

Boat launches

2 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

Falcon State Park RampFee
Texas Parks & Wildlife. Park entrance fee. Open all year, all boat types; camping in the parkDirections ↗
Arroyo Veleno RampFree
Zapata County. No fee. Off US 83 about 1 mile south of the Arroyo Veleno bridgeDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Special rules for this lake, confirmed from official state regulations. Minimum size and daily limit.

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Alligator Gar Falcon International Reservoir only; statewide limit is 1 and Falcon is exempt from harvest reporting	See Texas rules book ↗	5 / day

Other species in this lake: look up the limits at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department ↗

Verified October 2026. Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Falcon Lake TackleNearby
2825 S US Hwy 83, Zapata(956) 765-4866 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Falcon Lake (International Falcon Reservoir) ↗

Local tips

Water levels swing widely with drought and irrigation releases; check the level before you go, as low water can leave ramps unusable.
Everyone in a boat fishing Mexican waters needs a Mexico fishing license; Texas rules apply only on the Texas side.
Summer heat slows the bass bite; fish topwater and buzzbaits early and late, and focus on spring, fall and winter for big fish.

Angler reports

Water temp, what's biting, and anything else other anglers should know about Falcon Lake (International Falcon Reservoir).

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