Lake J.B. Thomas Named Texas No. 1 Bass Lake for 2026 - And One of Our Guests Helped Prove It

Bassmaster Magazine just released its 2026 rankings of the 100 Best Bass Lakes in America, and Lake J.B. Thomas -- sitting about 15 minutes from Sandhill RV Park -- came out as the highest-ranked lake in Texas, landing at No. 2 nationally, just behind Clear Lake, California. What makes a 7,282-acre West Texas reservoir outfish lakes many times its size? The Toyota ShareLunker program tells the story. In just the first four months of 2026, anglers statewide entered 467 bass over 8 pounds into the program -- and 159 of them, more than a third, came out of J.B. Thomas alone. Two of those big fish made headlines this spring. Lawrence Lee of Tolar landed a pair of Legacy Class bass on the same day in March, a 13.57-pounder and a 13.10-pounder. And Brandon Burks of Stephenville, one of Sandhill RV Park's longtime guests, boated a 13.16-pound bass of his own -- proof that the fish making this lake famous are being caught by people who camp right here with us. As Texas Parks and Wildlife has put it, the lake now "continues to defy normal bass logic." For a reservoir this size to be producing this many double-digit bass, something special is happening under the surface at J.B. Thomas. Good news for anyone parked at Sandhill RV Park: you don't have to drive far to try it yourself. J.B. Thomas is about 15 minutes away, we offer a $5 daily lake access fee, and our full-hookup sites make it easy to fish hard all day and come home to air conditioning, hot water, and a comfortable bed at night. Why is Lake J.B. Thomas ranked Texas' No. 1 bass lake for 2026? Bassmaster Magazine's 2026 Best Bass Lakes list ranked J.B. Thomas No. 2 in the nation, the highest of any Texas lake, driven largely by the huge volume of double-digit bass anglers are pulling from it. What is the Toyota ShareLunker program? It's Texas Parks and Wildlife's program for collecting largemouth bass over 8 pounds for research and selective breeding. In early 2026, J.B. Thomas produced more qualifying bass than almo…