we have big Gators in the Trinity river south of town, but if you're stupid enough to go sightseeing in the mocha brown mud banks of that nasty ass river, you deserve to get chomped, not to mention that's it' s the favorite dumping spot for stiffs. I assume there are gators in all the lakes around the metroplex, but i've never heard of a sighting.
there are also big Alligator Gar in the Trinity(6-7 footers easy) and people do come from all over to hunt them any way the law allows. i water skiied almost right over the top of a at least 6 foot Gar at Lake Texoma on the Oklahoma / Texas border about 5 years ago. i swung really wide out to the right to make a hard cut on a left turn around by the boat, and saw what i thought was a log, i straightened up real quick to hop over it, and it splashed like i have never seen a fish splash before, i almost went down trying to avoid it.