Something big is happening again on Toledo Bend regarding Lunker Bass. 2025 ended with 1309 Lunkers entered into the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program from its start in 1992 through 2025. All of these fish were returned alive back into Toledo Bend after the fish were photographed, weighed, and tagged and the anglers received a free fiberglass replica from TBLA. The average year produces about 50 lunkers/year. Full Year 2025 produced 84 Lunkers, the third-highest year in the program’s history. The historical best Lunker production was in 2015 and 2016 with 124 and 104 Lunkers respectively(calendar Years). Years 2013 -2017 produced the best 5-year number of Lunkers in the program’s history. Those years’ production was driven by a prolonged low water period in 2010-2011, which recharged the reservoir’s bio-mass resulting in a classic “new lake effect.” There was a dramatic increase in documented Lunker Bass Production, followed by a predictable decline as the aquatic vegetation in the lake declined back to a more normal level.
Toledo Bend is once again experiencing another increase in Lunker production, but this time, it is being driven by a significant change in technology and new fishing tactics, which are allowing anglers to catch previously untapped Lunkers in the Lake. The last three Lunker Years ( which run from June 1 to May 31), 2022/2023, 2023/2024, and 2024/2025 produced 57, 56, and 81 Lunkers respectively. This three year‘s production is the best since 1992, when the program started, other than the drought/drawdown-driven years of 2013-2017. The 2024/25 Lunker program year produced 81 Lunkers and is the third-best Lunker program year in its history. A new Lake record fish, which weighed 15.57 lbs. was also weighed and released alive through the Toledo Bend Lunker Program, in the 2023-2025 period.
In the 2024/2025 Lunker year (June-May), the program produced fifty-seven 10.00-10.99 lb. bass, seventeen 11-11.99 lb. fish, six 12.00-12.99 lb. fish, and one 13.00-13.99 lb. fish that were released alive through the Toledo Bend Lunker Program. Each of the angler’s that caught these fish received a free fiberglass replica on 8/17/25 of their catches from the Toledo Bend Lake Association who administers the Lunker Program.
Lunkers have been caught in every month of the year, but March is the absolute best month historically, accounting for 37% of the Lunkers caught. February and April are the next best months, producing 15% and 13% respectively. January, June, and July each produce 5-6% of the Lunkers submitted to the program
In most years, about 10% of the 10.00 + Lunkers were previously caught (verified by tag). A couple of fish have been caught three times.
The largest fish in the program weighed 15.57 lbs. , the smallest fish in the top 100 fish weighed in the program is now 12.26lbs!
A little more about The Toledo Bend Lake Association.
TBLA is a grassroots 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and is a 100% volunteer organization with zero paid employees and zero government funding. TBLA raises money annually to fund many projects in the Toledo Bend Lake area. We administer a grant program to fund approved programs in the Lake Area in both Texas and Louisiana. A few of the things that we fund on an ongoing basis are to provide materials for both Texas and Louisiana‘s artificial reef programs. We also publish the pamphlets that show where the Reefs are located on the Lake. We stock a minimum of 50,000 Florida bass fingerlings most years and use our members to place these fingerlings throughout the lake. We administer and fund the Toledo Bend Lunker Program and have done so since 2005.
The fiberglass replicas that we provide the anglers who weigh their 10.00 or larger Bass at one of our approved weigh stations and release the fish alive are significant, with replicas costing now more than $500 ea. In 2025, the cost of Lunker Replicas was more than $40,000. TBLA funds the program 100%, regardless of the number and we have done so every year since the 2005/2006 Program year. No Trophy Bass conservation program has the consequential impact on Toledo Bend like the Toledo Bend Lunker program. TBLA also funds a scholarship program that awards $20000+ in scholarships annually. Historically, we have funded boats and other equipment for LWF, a dive team trailer for Sabine Parish Sheriffs Dive Team, and partial funding of boat Lane Buoys, and many other projects.
