New Keith Lake boat launch

Feeling fishy? There’s a new launch in town to what one official calls “some of the best fishing in Texas.”

Head to Port Arthur and the new Walter Umphrey State Park Keith Lake Unit Boat Launch off Texas 87. The launch area guides boats into a popular fishing area along the Texas coastal marsh.

The Port Arthur News reports Michael Shane Sinegal, Jefferson County Precinct 3 county commissioner, said the area offers good fishing opportunities.

“This will be major access on Keith Lake and access to some of the best fishing in Texas. Several boats will be able to launch in either high tide or low tide. There could be four to five boats at a time,” Sinegal said in The News.

Carter Smith, of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Executive office, attended opening ceremonies for the launch and noted the Chenier Plain area is an important wildlife area.

“Wetlands provide a pivotal role in the natural system, suppling tremendous benefits for coastal communities,” Carter said. Those dunes and wetlands provide resiliency for storms and help protect an area that supports a commercial fishing industry that lands over 607 million pounds worth over $132 million dollars, as well as one of the world’s largest petrochemical complex.  Nature tourism is huge in the Chenier Plain area.  There are twenty public land wildlife management areas totaling over 650,000 acres offering unique recreational opportunities.  The Sabine national Wildlife Refuge has been designated as an “internationally important bird area” due to the numerous wading, water and marsh birds and hosts 280,000 visitors annually.  In short, it is an unparalleled and truly singularly unique part of our state’s proud outdoor and natural heritage.

Be sure to see what Sabine Lake and Sea Rim State Park offers your Texas fishing vacation while you’re in the area. Port Arthur Convention & Visitors Bureau hosted the Elite Redfish Series on Sabine Lake in 2016. They’re headed back for Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas in 2017.