I am planning a trip down the Brazos below PK and I am wondering if 1 night is enough time to float and fish?

It is possible, but it would be probably more paddling and fishing on the move. I always do two nights. It gives more time to stop and fish holes, and paddle at a leisurely pace. I think I'm actually going to spend 3 nights on that stretch this spring.

Would a half day on friday help out? What about campsites for only a half day of floating?

It all depends on how hard you want to paddle and how much time you think you will spend fishing each part of the river. Campsites are plentiful, you shouldn't have any issues there. On a 2 night trip, I typically paddle about 7 miles the first day. With a good about of fishing, I usually get to my first campsite in 5-6 hours. So lets say I paddle about a mile or so in an hour, but I fish a lot and take my time. Day two is the same pace, and I make camp around the same time 2-3pm usually at the 14 mile mark. Last day, I'm back at Rochelle's by noon.

You should be fine with one night. But I would focus on sections that have current near the deeper holes. The first 3 miles is usually quite productive. I fly fish 99% of the time, but if there was one lure I would cast, it would be a pumpkin super fluke.

Look for 200+ cfs flow and a northwest breeze and the 2 day fishing trip should be no problem. The typical 100 cfs and a south wind will be more of a 2 day paddle trip.

Thanks all for the info.

The flow This last Monday was up near 300 CFS. You could have made the trip on one day.

I did it last year and spent 3 nights. That was perfect for fishing and still barely made camp by dark.

Not sure when you are going but you had better check the weather. The lake is very full and any rain will cause BRA to release water. When the gates open that river goes from a meandering stream to a torrent.

when this


Becomes this - you want to be off the river

Yep. Flows are 8800 ft/s at the moment. They had to release water from Hubbard Creek with the rain last weekend so PK is having to adjust for the incoming water.

I am planning a trip in May.

I love doing Boomerang trips at PK, but lately they seem to be letting out water with short notice. Is there a site that I can find out when they will be releasing?

Water release notwithstanding, you are in for a great trip! Different segments of the Brazos have different looks and qualities. Water is clear in some spots, red as the red river in some others like down by Graham. The sand and gravel bars you see on one trip will be gone and replaced by others a trip later.

I recall one trip a friend and I made and the gar were so thick, it looked like you could walk across their backs from one side of the river to the next.

Back, way back!!!, we'd invariably meet some outlandishly crazy person on the river. God, I hope that is still the case as it adds a little flavor to the world. We met one guy who came down to the edge of the river and asked us if we'd climbed up on the bank. We said, no, and he said it was a good thing, that he'd shot us. Ha! He became friendly and wanted to tell us about this fishing technique for catfish . . . you find a big rock under water in current, block the back closed then slide your hand under the sand about an inch and feel for the catfish mouth. Ha! He was describing noodling to us almost 50 years ago! I had forgotten all about it until I heard people talking about it decades later. We just thought at the time the old coot was trying to mess with us.

***I see the release numbers posted above. I don't have it but someone recently published the URL where one can check release notices, current flows, etc. That'd be a great resource to have for anyone kayaking rivers.

Brad

Here ya go. It's only projected flow rates but in my experience it has been pretty accurate.

http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/glance.php?wfo=fwd&riverid=203892

This link will tell you the current flow. It has literally every river in Texas, most with numerous gages.
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/tx/nwis/current/?type=flow&group_key=basin_cd

There is also a Facebook page for the Brazos River Authority. Can't remember if they forecast gate opening/closing.