Ultimate Lake Ray Roberts Texas Getaway: Camping, Fishing, and Exploring Fort Worth

A Guide to Camping at the Dallas/Arlington KOA, Fishing Hotspots, and Must-Visit Local Attractions in Fort Worth, TX

This is where we're staying for the 2025 Bassmaster Classic. It's located about 25 minutes from downtown Fort Worth and about an hour from Lake Ray Roberts. | Kurt Mazurek

The Ultimate Bassmaster Classic Adventure

My wife Julie and I recently embarked on a cross-country road trip to the 2025 Bassmaster Classic in Fort Worth, Texas. Along the way we stopped at three historic former Bassmaster Classic host cities to soak up Bassmaster Classic mojo and take in the local sites, sounds and flavors that make these premier bass fishing getaway destinations.

Our first stop was on the Georgia/South Carolina border at Lake Hartwell. From there we headed to Lay Lake in central Alabama. Next, we hit the Louisiana Delta at new Orleans. And now that the trip down Bassmaster Classic Memory Lane is over, we packed up our 25-foot RV and headed west to Fort Worth, Texas for the 2025 “Big Daddy” championship of professional bass fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

Why the Dallas/Arlington KOA Holiday is Perfect for Travelers

During the planning phase of our trip I noted that there are actually three KOAs that we could have booked for this Bassmaster Classic focused trip. Logistically, the thing about attending the Bassmaster Classic is that the expo and the weigh-ins were in downtown Fort Worth and the morning takeoffs and actual fishing were on Lake Ray Roberts, nearly an hour north.

We selected the Dallas/Arlington KOA for easy access to the downtown area of Fort Worth. | Google

The Sanger/Denton North KOA is right near Lake Ray Roberts, which would be nice for getting to the early morning takeoff at the boat ramp. The Weatherford/Fort Worth West KOA was, as the name implies, west of Fort Worth, which I assumed might have a little less traffic and feel a little more in tune with nature. But, in the end, based on the schedule of events we had planned, I opted for the Dallas/Arlington KOA which was closest to both the Dickies Arena where the weigh-ins would be and the Fort Worth Convention Center where the Classic Expo was located.

Like in New Orleans, this is a campground surrounded by a lot of industry and housing. But again, like the New Orleans KOA, it’s kind of its own little world. It was easy to forget how busy everything was just outside of the KOA property. In the campground, the atmosphere was clean and safe and quiet. We sat outside in the evening and cooked marshmallows over a fire. The nature vibes were strong for such an urban setting.

Evenings with a fire on our site's patio and a little sip of a local whiskey were the perfect way to relax. | Kurt Mazurek

I should mention that for this stay, we booked one of their Deluxe Cabins. We figured that after a week in the camper we wanted to try stretching out a little and settling into this spot for a few days. While our RV was quite comfortable and all of the KOAs have been great, staying in the cabin was really nice.

The inside of our KOA Cabin was clean and spacious with just enough of a rustic vibe to keep us in that outdoor/nature frame of mind. | Kurt Mazurek

The cabin felt spacious inside. It was nicely appointed with modern appliances and marble-looking countertop, but with pine wood walls and ceiling to make sure it felt like a cozy and rustic. This cabin could have slept up to eight people, with beds cleverly located in three fairly separated rooms. We stayed in what I would describe as the main bedroom and the bed was quite comfy. And, maybe best of all for those who have been living in an RV for the past week, it had a full-size bathroom with a full-size shower.

The Deluxe Cabin had all the modern conveniences you'd ever need for a comfortable stay. | Kurt Mazurek

I would say this cabin is truly a great alternative to a multi-day stay in any hotel next time your visiting Fort Worth.

Other KOA Amenities

In addition to world class Texas bass fishing within an hour’s drive in almost any direction, this campground offers bike rentals, beautiful outdoor fireplaces and fire rings, a pool, a playground, and a convenience store. They also had a clean, modern laundry facility, of which we took full advantage.

The laundry facility was clean, safe and reasonably priced. | Julie Mazurek

Lake Ray Roberts: A Texas Trophy Fishery

As I mentioned, Classic tournament waters, Lake Ray Roberts was about an hour's drive from the KOA.

When the lake was impounded the Texas Parks and Wildlife fisheries biologists envisioned following the same blueprint as Lake Fork, making it a trophy bass factory. | tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks

Lake Ray Roberts, impounded in 1987, was always intended to be a trophy bass fishery. The Texas Parks and Wildlife fisheries biologists envisioned following the same blueprint as Lake Fork, the state’s top producer of ShareLunker entries. Ray Roberts includes huge areas of standing timber intended to provide ideal bass habitat and maximize sport fishing productivity.

In recent years, the amount of aquatic vegetation in the lake has been increasing, providing even more habitat for largemouth bass, especially in the clearer water of the lakes east arm. Coverage of aquatic vegetation, namely milfoil and pondweed, expanded in 2023 to almost 7,000 of the lake’s 26,000 surface acres.

Plus, Ray Roberts is on a regular stocking program. The lake has received 4.6 million Florida largemouth, with the fisheries management plan calling for subsequent stockings every two to three years. In 2024, 347,000 Lonestar Bass were stocked, which are descendants of ShareLuker Legacy class largemouth weighing over 13 pounds.

Lake Ray Roberts and Big Bass

Does the lake produce big bass? Well, the lake record was set in March of 2015 when Shannon Lee Elvington of Pilot Point landed a 15.18-pounder. The previous best reported was a 14.59 bass from 2000. So, the possibility of a real monster bag exists here.

The lake record is this 15.18 pound giant caught in March of 2015. | Texas ShareLunker

My Bassmaster Classic Experience on Ray Roberts

As a member of the media, I was able to get myself aboard the boat of legendary veteran angler, Greg Hackney, during the second day of competition for the Bassmaster Classic. I had met Greg a couple times over the years, but it had mostly been quick, cordial, handshake sort of interactions. This time, I got to hang out with him one-on-one for eight hours and it was awesome!

I couldn't believe my good luck to observe one of the best bass anglers ever during the Bassmaster Classic, from this close range. | Kurt Mazurek

As a tournament angler myself, I was very careful not to initiate too much conversation because I wanted to give him the uninterrupted opportunity to think about whatever he wanted while he was competing. And although he was very focused on the job at hand, he was also very friendly and we ended up chatting a lot.

Hackney about to swing another bass aboard during the 2025 Bassmaster Classic. | Kurt Mazurek

I’m going to put together a full story of the many little nuggets of wisdom he dropped, both fishing and life related, but for now let me tell you that it’s easy to see why he has been one of the top anglers for so long. He is constantly gathering and analyzing clues about the environment, both above and below the water—stuff that 99% of us would never even notice. He doesn’t complicate his lure selection. He makes adjustments as needed, but it’s usually subtle rather than flashy and it never feels desperate. And his casting skills, especially short-range, underhand pitching, are world class. The efficiency and smoothness of his movements are so subtle it’s easy to take for granted, but it’s super impressive.

The efficiency and accuracy of Greg Hackney's casting is truly something to see. | Kurt Mazurek

Hackney was targeting vast, shallow expanses of trees where bass were heading in to spawn, currently spawning, or recovering from spawning. He caught a good number of fish that day, he just never connected with the big bite he was counting on. I know this is the tournament where first place is the only thing anyone wants to talk about, but Hackney ended up with a respectable 18th place finish.

Best Attractions in Fort Worth, TX

Being located in the middle of one of the country’s larger cities means there is no end to the number of restaurants to try and interesting things to do.

Of course, we were in town primarily to attend the 2025 Bassmaster Classic and it was great. It’s not the first time this city has hosted the Classic and it probably won’t be the last. The Fort Worth Convention Center held the Classic Expo and the daily weigh-ins were at the Dickies Arena. B.A.S.S. provided a free shuttle to cover the couple miles between the two locations and it worked great.

I had no way of knowing at the time, but this may be the last photo ever of Scott Martin on a Bassmaster Classic stage. Martin quit the Bassmaster Elites shortly after the Classic while under investigation of a rule violation. But, aside from that the final weigh-in was great with tons of good energy! | Kurt Mazurek

Dining

Outside of Classic activities, we did dial in on Spring Creek Barbeque, just one mile down the road from the KOA. Yes, it appears that it is a Texas chain restaurant with quite a few locations around the state, and for BBQ purists that might be a negative. But as a bit of a BBQ snob myself, I thought it was genuinely good food—good enough that we gladly ended up there more than once that week. The brisket, the St Louis ribs, and the Texas pecan pie were highlights for us.

They've got some pretty strong brisket at Spring Creek BBQ. | Spring Creek Barbeque

And here are some other spots to consider:

• Babe's Chicken Dinner House | 230 N Center St, Arlington, TX 76011
  -A North Texas staple that satisfies cravings for chicken fried steak
  and delightful fried chicken. Meals are served family style with shareable sides.
• Hurtado Barbecue | 205 E Front St, Arlington, TX 76010
  -A family-run barbecue joint that started as a food truck. Brisket is the star, but ribs and sausage are also great choices.
• Mercury Chophouse | 2221 E Lamar Blvd #910, Arlington, TX 76006
  -Upscale steakhouse with a view of the stadium, specializing in steaks, but also offering seasonal pork and lamb chops. The seafood tower is a classic.
• Soy Cowboy | 888 Nolan Ryan Expressway, Arlington, Texas 76011
  -An Asian restaurant that offers sushi, robata, and steaks, including A5 wagyu and omakase. You can also try the miso black cod or fried rice.

Outdoor Adventures

• Ft. Worth's Stockyards: an exciting blend of the Old and New West. This National Historic District has over 125 acres of history, shopping, dining, and fun Texas-style entertainment.
• AT&T Stadium: A "sports mecca" that hosts a variety of major events, including a Super Bowl, Final Four, NBA All-Star Game, boxing matches, and college football championships, as well as Dallas Cowboys games.
• Globe Life Field in Arlington: Home of the Texas Rangers baseball team, it is considered a top baseball facility with attractions like the Legends of the Game Baseball Museum and a Children's Learning Center

This photo is just for fun. Just down the road from our campground was what almost appeared to be some sort of shrine to vacuum cleaners. If you really love vacuums, I would suggest this is a must see. | Kurt Mazurek

Maximum Bassmaster Classic Vibes

As you may have seen in my reviews of our other stops, I’ve made it my goal to get a photo with an actual Bassmaster Classic trophy at each of the Classic locations we visited during this trip. Sadly, in this case Lake Ray Roberts is going to have to continue to be a goal.

I was shocked that I could be lucky enough to be riding along with THE Greg Hackney on Day 2 of the Bassmaster Classic. | Kurt Mazurek

The only day our schedule allowed me to get up on the lake was the day I spent riding with Greg Hackney. Out of respect for his livelihood, bringing the trophy with me on his boat felt like a faux pas at best. Of course, riding with one of the sport’s all-time greats during an actual competition day is an amazing way to soak up a ton of good Bassmaster Classic vibes, and it’s not lost on me how fortunate I am to have that opportunity. And, leaving without my trophy photo just gives me one more reason to come back.

I did manage to get my photo with a real Bassmaster Classic trophy in front of three legendary Classic locations. | Julie Mazurek

If you're wondering about the trophy, I don't blame you. Yes, it's an actual Classic trophy. No, I did not win it. Yes, I acquired it through 100% legitimate means. Yes, life is mysterious and awesome!

Final Thoughts: Is a Dallas/Arlington KOA Getaway Worth It?

Overall, our stay at the Dallas/Arlington KOA was excellent. Reasonably close to great bass fishing? Check! Quiet, safe, comfortable and affordable? Check! Plenty to see, do and eat? Check! Would we stay here again? Absolutely!

Transparency Note: Although I have not been paid by any of the manufacturers or companies mentioned, some of the gear or places reviewed in this article have been provided to me at no cost for evaluation. The views and assessments presented are entirely my own.