"People who like to fish from the bank prefer to come here," according to Jolie Locke, who manages the lake concession store. "The lake record catfish is 74 pounds, and catfishing is popular year 'round."
Because of its proximity to Memphis (a few miles north of Collierville), Herb Parsons Lake gets heavy fishing pressure, but much of it is directed toward largemouth bass. Catfish anglers do well with night crawlers and commercial stink baits, but Locke gave up her secret for making turkey liver the most-often touted catfish bait for western Tennessee even more tempting: "I soak it in garlic and ketchup for two or three days and let it get real stinky." (Use this recipe at home at your own risk.) She regularly lands 2- and 3-pound cats in front of the store with this concoction.
During the summer, boaters should turn left as they leave the ramp by the store to explore a series of coves, or they can also find excellent fishing by turning right and heading toward the T-shaped pier and the levee. Much of this 177-acre lake is 6 to 8 feet deep, but you'll find some 30-foot water. "People who fish the beaver dams pull some big catfish out of them," Locke advised.
To reach this hotspot, follow State Highway 205 out of Collierville to Monterey Lake Road, take a right, go to Fisherville Lake Road, and then turn left into the lake's entrance. From Interstate 40, you can get on Highway 205 from exit 25 and follow it south to State Highway 193. At that intersection, turn left and proceed to Fisherville Lake Road, where you'll take a right and look for the entrance. You can reach the lake concession store at (901) 861-5087.
On all these lakes, the daily limit is five catfish per person. The TWRA's other eight Family Fishing Lakes are in central Tennessee. You can learn about them on the agency's Web site at www.state.tn.us/twra.
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