Balmorhea Lake Fishing & Camping

First of all, DO NOT trust the directions to the camping area. Both Google maps and our trucker's GPS took us to the wrong location, ending up in sketchy u-turns down dead-end dirt roads. Stay on Business Loop 10 in Balmorhea, make a left turn onto Houston Drive (there will be a sign pointing to the lake), and stay on the pavement until you get to the office/store/bait shop. Check in there.

There are two camping areas. We chose to stay in the dry camping area, which costs $10 per day, but it put us right on the lake with no one else near us. They do have an RV area with some utilities, which costs $20 per day. Now, they charge PER DAY, not per night, so our two night stay actually cost us three days, or $30.

Landside, the place looks kind of junky and run down. Not too pretty to look at. The lake, though, is gorgeous, and we were treated to a really beautiful sunset.

We were here on a Friday night and Saturday night. The place is dead quiet at night, except for a local that came in around 1 am and blasted their ghetto hip hop music until 4 am. Now, when you check in, you receive a list of rules that says, if you cause any disruptions, you'll be carted out by the local law enforcement. I guess that rule doesn't pertain to locals causing noise. No, we didn't call in the law. They have other things to deal with and we're only here for two nights, but it was disappointing.

Probably the best part of this camping area is that cell service is excellent, at least with Verizon. Full bars and no need for a signal booster.

Overall, as an overnight stop or a place to set down for a day or two on the road, this place is fine. If we weren't on a longer road trip heading somewhere else, I wouldn't go out of my way to stay here.

It’s $20 a day, but their “day” ends at midnight. So if you’re going to camp for the night it’s $40 for a primitive camping site. There is also no rules on quiet hours it seems, as our neighbors across the lake were blaring music until 3 am.

As far as the campsite, it was a decent location. I gave two stars for the price, noise level and cleanliness of the restrooms. When I made a comment about the price for primaries camping they said, “the oilfield got us.” Yeah, well they got me for one night and never again. If you don’t mind paying that price and the loud music it’s not a terrible place to stay.

Came to Balmoreah lake for a test run as we had just purchased a new trailer and this was the closest body of water to us. Called ahead and I was informed that it was $20 per day, not night so for 2 nights I was told it would be $60. We arrived and it was $20 per DAY for the trailer, another $10 per DAY for the truck pulling it AND another $20 per DAY for our family traveling in the truck.(Carload) That means it was $50 per DAY!!! For 1 night it's $100 as the "day" ends at midnight. The lake is beautiful but the campgrounds are trash and not maintained at all. We will not be coming back and that's a shame!

Sign at store states anyone over 14 years old is 5 dollars. Doesn't say anything bout 20 dollars a car load. Their days end at midnight so if ya come in after hours 9 pm to 12 midnight is 20 dollars for 2 person's fishing all night plus 20 dollars next morning if us want to stay and fish.
Restrooms were filthy as per say a out house would have been better. No electrity ...toilets was nasty. No paper and no locks on the doors.
As for bait at lake store only worms were sold couldn't get a fishing license and campsites were not kept up to par. Where's the money going. No trees for shade. I won't be going back to this money hungry destination