At 185,000 acres, Toledo Bend Reservoir is the largest man-made lake in the South and a fishing mecca for countless bass, bream and crappie enthusiasts. During the planning stage in the 1950s, some people wanted to name the reservoir Lake Texana, in the tradition of Lake Texoma on the Texas-Oklahoma border.
Toledo Bend was chosen instead when the dam was constructed near Toledo, Texas, where the Sabine River makes a large bend.
Thus, the lake’s name, but why was the place called Toledo in the first place? There are at least four stories of Toledo’s origin, so just pick your favorite.
Some claim the area was first settled by immigrants from Ohio and they named it Toledo in honor of the city in their home state. Others say Toledo was the name of a local Indian chief.
