OMBTT Lake Fork Open

The OMBTT Lake Fork Open is a single-day bass fishing tournament staged at Haines Point Ramp in Quitman, Texas, on the storied waters of Lake Fork Reservoir, a 27,690-acre impoundment in Wood County that has produced more ShareLunker-qualifying largemouth bass than any other body of water in Texas. The 2026 event date is March 7, with launch at 7 AM and weigh-in at 3 PM. Lake Fork holds the Texas and former world record largemouth bass, a fish weighing 18.18 pounds caught in 1992 by Mark Stevenson, and its reputation as the most productive trophy bass reservoir in the state has sustained a tournament circuit presence that dates back to the lake’s earliest years following impoundment in 1980.

The Lake Fork Fishery

Lake Fork’s bass population benefits from a combination of factors uncommon in most Texas reservoirs: abundant timber structure from the original East Texas pine forests that were not cleared before impoundment, a large number of creek arms and submerged roadbeds providing deep and shallow structure in close proximity, and a Florida-strain largemouth stocking programme that established the genetic foundation for the oversized bass the lake now produces naturally. Tournament anglers who fish Lake Fork regularly describe it as a venue where a single fish can determine a competition outcome, given that a quality largemouth from Fork weighs meaningfully more than the same quality fish from most other Texas lakes.

Good to Know: Haines Point Ramp in Quitman provides direct public access to Lake Fork’s main lake structure. Quitman, the seat of Wood County, sits approximately 110 kilometres east of Dallas via US-80 and Texas Highway 37. The OMBTT series confirms specific prize structure and entry fees through official registration channels; register in advance to secure entry and confirm the competition rules for the 2026 edition. A Texas freshwater fishing license is required for all participants.

Lake Fork and the East Texas Piney Woods

The East Texas Piney Woods surrounding Lake Fork constitute a distinctive regional landscape in which pine and hardwood forest, small commercial towns, and an extensive network of fishing lakes create a culture of outdoor recreation unlike anything in central or south Texas. The Sabine National Forest, approximately 60 kilometres to the east, provides additional hiking and paddling access for families extending the trip beyond the tournament day. For anglers and families wanting to stay on the water during the Lake Fork tournament, Lake.com lists the Cozy Texas Glamping Tent with Starry Views as a vacation rental option that captures the open-sky, pine-country character of an East Texas overnight.