Lewisville Fishing Barge History

Lewisville Fishing Barge opened at Lewisville Lake in the summer of 1959 on the shore between Lewisville Lake Park and Eagle Point Marina. It was one of the first fishing barges in North Texas and the first on the still-new Lewisville Lake.

The original owners were Joe Jagoe, Ken Massey, and Dave Barrow. Jagoe later became the sole owner. According to family members, he built the barge because his wife loved fishing but health conditions prevented her from fishing from boats or banks. This living tribute to his wife, Catherine, remained in the Jagoe family for more than 30 years.

Lewisville Fishing Barge boasted that customers could fish in luxury 24/7 for 365 days of the year with access to air conditioning, heating, seating, and a snack bar. A newspaper account from October 1960 states that the barge served an average of 200 people a day, adding up to a total of 63,000 visitors in its first year.

At one time, the barge was known for having the best hamburgers in Denton County. Ed Lane has a small café in Dallas (on Congress between Locust and Elm), but his business lagged with the proliferation of fast food establishments and he closed the café. Jagoe needed a new cook at the barge, so he offered Lane the chance to run the kitchen at Lewisville Fishing Barge. Lane’s hamburgers quickly became a draw for anglers and non-anglers alike.

The barge eventually was sold by the Jagoe family to E.A. “Poncho” Newton and Grady Collom, with Newton later becoming the sole owner. The barge remained in the Newton family until it closed.

The lake-record large-mouth bass was caught at the barge in 2005. According to witnesses, Jon Babich caught a crappie that was too small to keep. When he threw it back into the lake, a large bass immediately swallowed it. He dropped his line into the same spot and soon pulled out a large-mouth bass measuring 24.25 inches long and 13.63 pounds.

The barge was closed in October 2021 due to serious structural and safety issues that were too costly to repair. The city assumed ownership in July 2022 and demolished the barge soon afterward. A new fishing barge is included in the long-range plans for a redesign of Lewisville Lake Park.