Ascarate Lake

Boat Ramps: 1
Access Points: 1
Species: 12

Ascarate Lake sits within Ascarate Park, the largest public-use recreational park in El Paso County, Texas. This 48-acre urban fishery has established itself as one of the premier fishing destinations in the Southwest, offering anglers a diverse fishing experience in the heart of El Paso. The lake features both shoreline and boat access opportunities, with a maximum depth of approximately 6 feet and clear water conditions that provide excellent fishing opportunities year-round. The lake is enhanced by a lakeside boardwalk and benefits from regular fish stocking programs that maintain healthy populations of both warm-water and cold-water species.

Texas licenses and regulations4 to check before you go

Species & education

Learn what type of fish are at Ascarate Lake and what's needed to catch them.

Find which waters have the species you want to catch

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

Rainbow Trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Black Crappie

Pomoxis nigromaculatus

Blue Catfish

Ictalurus furcatus

Bluegill Sunfish

Lepomis macrochirus

Channel Catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

Common Carp

Cyprinus carpio

Flathead Catfish

Pylodictis olivaris

Green Sunfish

Lepomis cyanellus

Redear Sunfish

Lepomis microlophus

Spotted Bass

Micropterus punctulatus

White Crappie

Pomoxis annularis

Fish stocking schedule

All stockings · 4

Rainbow TroutCatchable sizeMar 3, 2026
Rainbow TroutCatchable sizeFeb 12, 2026
Rainbow TroutCatchable sizeJan 7, 2026
Rainbow TroutCatchable sizeDec 10, 2025

Source

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Updated Nov 13, 2026. Dates are as precise as the agency reports them.

Open stocking page

Fishing spots, boat ramps & amenities

Learn how to get on Ascarate Lake. Uncover great fishing access points, boat ramps, and all the facilities you need for an unforgettable day on the water. Some locations shown may border or include private property. Always check property boundaries and applicable regulations before visiting. onWater's Public & Private Land layer can help you plan your access with confidence.

Rio Grande Reservoir Boat Ramp

Boat Ramp

Know where you can legally fish on Ascarate Lake

See public and private land boundaries along the water, turn on private parcels with owner details to know where permission is required, and find land-trust parcels that offer permitted fishing access.

Texas licenses and regulations

Texas Boating Regulations

When using any type of watercraft to access a body of water, it is important to follow all federal, state, and local rules and regulations. These rules and regulations include boat permitting and licensing, invasive species inspections and stamps, life jacket and PFD rules, motor size and horsepower restrictions, noise limitations, restrictions on personal watercraft, and many more. Visit the web link below for the most current rules and regulations for this body of water.

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Texas Fishing License

All residents and visitors over the age of 17 require a Texas fishing license to reel in fish, mussels, clams, and crayfish across the state. In addition, you’ll need specific tags or endorsements based on the size of the catch and its location.

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Texas Fishing Regulations

This river has a variety of species and regulations, including potential floating and/or watercraft restrictions. Because this river is specially managed for species, seasons, angling methods, and watercraft, it is strongly encouraged you check all federal, state, and local regulations before fishing. Visit any of the links below, inquire locally, or contact a local fly shop to learn current regulations and restrictions.

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Texas Stream Access Laws

Access must usually be obtained through the use of public property. The typical access may be from the right of way of a public road that crosses the stream, through a publicly owned boat launch area, or from some other public land (a park, for example) adjacent to the stream. There is no general right to cross private property to get to a navigable stream. There are a number of privately owned parks or campgrounds where members of the public may have access to a navigable stream by paying a small fee to the landowner. If the private landowner forbids access, an attempt to use the private land would be a trespass. Texas courts have recognized that a member of the public may engage in a variety of lawful activities along a navigable stream. Besides boating, persons may swim, float, walk, wade, picnic, camp, and (with a license) fish. Public use must be confined to the stream bed and, to a limited extent, the banks. State law prohibits parking on a highway bridge and generally forbids (with certain exceptions) parking in the main traveled part of a highway. Within a public road’s right of way, private fencing that restricts public passage to the stream is illegal.

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Take Ascarate Lake with you

The onWater Fish app keeps this water's access points, species and conditions in your pocket, with the tools you use once you're there.

Use the map without signal
Download the map around Ascarate Lake to use it offline when coverage drops.
Log your catches here
Keep a private fishing journal for Ascarate Lake to find where and when fish are biting for you.
HD depth charts from Garmin
Find drop offs, ledges, channels, points and shallow flats with Garmin depth charts in the app.