Texas Porch

Outdoors / Lake

Wright Patman Lake offers camping, fishing, and boating near Texarkana

Wright Patman Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Sulphur River in Bowie and Cass counties, about 10 miles southwest of Texarkana, with camping, fishing, boating, and wildlife viewing.

Bowie County The Great Outdoors

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Wright Patman Dam on the Sulphur River and manages the resulting reservoir — about 18,994 surface acres of water and surrounding land. Seventeen parks around the lake offer boat ramps, campgrounds, picnic areas, hiking, and equestrian trails. There are 17 boat launch ramps and several developed campgrounds with electric and water hookups.

Fishing is a major draw. White bass are plentiful, crappie populations are strong, and blue catfish, largemouth bass, and channel catfish are also present. All game fish follow standard statewide TPWD regulations. One local rule to know: you cannot transport live nongame fish taken from the Sulphur River below the dam to other water bodies.

Campground reservations can be made through Recreation.gov. Check with the Corps of Engineers directly about walk-up availability, as policies can change by season. Stays are limited to 14 days within any 30-consecutive-day period. Contact the Corps of Engineers at 903-838-8781 or visit the Corps lake page for current park status and fees.

Source to confirm: TPWD: Fishing Wright Patman Lake

More Bowie County notes

Property tax

Texas raised the school-district homestead exemption to $140,000

Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment in November 2025 that raised the mandatory school-district homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000, retroactive to January 1, 2025.

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Property tax

You can protest your property appraisal every year in Bowie County

Texas law gives every property owner the right to challenge their appraisal each year by filing a protest with the Appraisal Review Board before the deadline.

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Agricultural valuation

Timber and farm land can be taxed on productivity value, not market value

Under Texas law, land actively used for farming, ranching, or timber production can qualify for special appraisal — meaning it is taxed based on what it produces, not what it would sell for.

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Property tax

Two separate offices handle appraisal and tax collection in Bowie County

The Bowie Central Appraisal District sets property values, while a separate Tax Assessor-Collector handles billing — knowing which office to call saves confusion.

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