The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

There have always been places in the community that were considered "constants", places that just seemed like they would always be there. One such place has been brought back to life and the new version has proven to be a huge hit with both local and out of town folks who enjoy our local waterways. The new "Cove Marina" on Adam's Bayou has rapidly turned into a top local destination and it just keeps getting better. New owners, Quinton and Jacqueline Singleton, have revived what was once "Burkart's Marina" and made it into a top-notch facility. Jacqueline's grandfather, Alan Burkart established the marina in the late 50's and it gained popularity among the locals for it's amazing hamburgers and ice cold beer. Burkart's was one of the few places in the area where boaters could launch, get fuel, and grab some food at the same place. Burkart's finally closed after Alan passed away in 2016 and it sat dormant until the Singleton's reopened in October of 2023. The fresh new look of the marina has gained plenty of attention during that time.

When the decision was made to reopen the marina there was a ton of work that had to be done before anything new could happen, but it has all paid off. Cove Marina sports some very nice boat storages with more to come. A brand-new dock surrounds one of the most user-friendly boat launches you could ever ask for as the water level never prohibits launching, even during extreme low water conditions in the fall. The new dock and freshly cleaned grounds offer plenty of space for public fishing and that's one thing our area desperately needs. Kayaks are also available for rental for those anglers or sightseers who don't want to be tied down to the shore. Adam's bayou offers up some very nice water to paddle for activities like fishing or bird watching so the kayak option has turned out to be a very popular attraction. I spoke to one kayaker recently while I was launching my boat and they said, "this place is beautiful and so peaceful, no highway noise and minimal boat traffic, it's really very nice". I would certainly agree with their assessment.

Like any good spot on the water, Cove Marina has all the stuff you need for a day on the water or just lunch with a view. BBQ and Pizza served daily along with breakfast sandwiches on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are crowd favorites. All the other essentials such as snacks, cold drinks, beer, ice, tackle, and live bait along with a very nice fish cleaning facility are also readily available as well. The family atmosphere that surrounds this great spot gets bumped up another notch as live music has become a more regular occurrence and will continue as we head toward the summer months.   

It's great to see local folks doing well and offering up more and more options around our waterways and that's exactly what the Singleton's have done with Cove Marina. If you haven't been down there you owe it to yourself to check it out because it's worth a look regardless if you're headed out on the boat or just looking for a lunch with a very cool view. For more information on Cove Marina you can find them on FaceBook at "Cove Marina and Boat Storage" or on Instagram at "covemarinatx".

Locally the fishing continues to be slow as the runoff from both Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn wreaks havoc on Sabine Lake. The volume of fresh water coming down the Neches and the Sabine rivers continues to keep our area at or above flood stage and there appears to be no end in sight right now. There are a few folks down around the jetty that are catching some redfish and scattered trout, but it's been a struggle to say the least. Until we catch a break in the runoff it's going to be difficult to find a consistent pattern. If you just have to go catch a fish you may consider heading east across the state line to Calcasieu, the conditions are better than what we are dealing with on Sabine but still slow for this time of year. If you do get out, please be aware of floating debris because there is some bad stuff out there right now. Keep that PFD handy and slow down, it may save you some heartache.