Freshwater Fishing

Lake Abilene holds bass, crappie, and catfish

Lake Abilene is a 595-acre reservoir inside Abilene State Park where you can fish for largemouth bass, white crappie, and channel catfish.

Taylor County The Great Outdoors

Lake Abilene sits on Elm Creek about 20 miles south of the city. The reservoir covers 595 acres and reaches a maximum depth of 25 feet. The lake typically runs very muddy. You can reach it only through Abilene State Park, so you pay the park entry fee to get there.

You can fish from shore inside the state park without a fishing license. If you bring a boat, you need a valid Texas fishing license. When water levels are high to moderate, fishing for catfish, crappie, and bass is rated fair to good. At low water, access may be limited to bank fishing. Check TPWD for current lake levels before you go.

Source to confirm: TPWD — Fishing Lake Abilene

More Taylor County notes

Property Tax Basics

Two offices handle property taxes here

Taylor County has both an appraisal district and a tax assessor-collector, but the county tax office does not collect property taxes — the appraisal district handles collection for most taxing units.

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Homestead Exemption

Homestead exemption cuts your school tax bill

Texas law requires every school district to exempt $140,000 of your home's value from taxation, but you must apply through the Taylor County Appraisal District to get the benefit.

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Agricultural Valuation

Farm and ranch land can be taxed on productivity, not market value

Texas allows agricultural land to be appraised on what it can produce rather than what it could sell for, which usually means a much lower tax bill.

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Tax Bill Breakdown

Multiple taxing units appear on your property tax bill

Your Taylor County property tax bill can include charges from up to 18 different taxing units — the county, a school district, and possibly a city or water district.

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