1/3 into October and the lake is nearly 10 foot low.. and there is a tourney there this Thursday-Saturday. College Bass Tourney on theeagle.com

dont believe the water level report from the
http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/reports/fish.htm

the number is the same as it for the week before.
but there was heavy rain the last weekend

That data is taken every day at the dam and is accurate within a 24 hour period. Release data might not reflect the current moment in time but the lake level doesn't differ/change normally from day to day. The dry parched earth will soak up many inches of rain before it even begins to run-off into the creeks. Two inches of rain does not make the lake rise two inches especially considering the whole Yegua creek basin is dry and cracked wide open waiting on rain.

Are there going to be any places to catch some whitebass on the main lake with it being so low?

is there any good location for bank fishing crappie?

We will have to approach Lake Somerville like a totally new lake because it's missing the top ten feet of water and is less then half the size. I've not fished it since late August but I'd bet that fishing shad/ghost minnows on the wind blown side of the lake will have about the same results as usual spring bank fishing at Birch Creek Park.

Little heads up for you guys. We got right at 4" of rain up hear in Rockdale. That water is going down the Yegua. Good luck on ya'll fishing this season.

Thanks for the update Big Zee!!

Lexington received 4 inches also. That feeds into the middle Yegua and the ground is already wet, so maybe a lot of this will make it to the lake this time. I live in Rockdale and my rain gage only had 3.2 inches, but it all ran off due to wet soil from previous rains.

Fishytx, Hows the shoulders holding up?

I might have to get my dad's Kayak back down here!

Did you guys see the monster blue cat that was caught out of Somerville on Jan 15?

Big Blue

The shoulders are doing great at this time. Now I have what is called a complex tear in my right knee. Man if it's not one thing it's another. I refuse to slow down, but my body sure is trying everything in its power to change that. I haven't wet a line in about four months now. On my last fishing trip I busted my butt at the boat ramp while loading the boat on the trailer and I think that's how I tore up my knee. I've had it looked at and I need surgery to fix it, but not real sure when I'll get it done. I'm walking on it pretty good right now, but I still think I should go a head and get it fixed. Oh well, life goes on my friend.

I would get it fixed because the disk between the joint is going to get worse as u put pressure on it! I'm a surgical technologists and ive been in cases wear the patient waited too long to get surgery. If anything they will do it through a scope and you will just have like 3 small incisions below your patella. Good luck and try to stay off your right knee!

Wow...

Thinking about heading out in the am. Heard from a friend they have been catching some WB. Tried to ascertain if they were males or females. I know the area that guy fishes and will try there and others.

Duck hunting season is over for me even though this is the last weekend. Tired of driving to the coast and other areas since no Somerville hunting this season.

Still ducks behind my house-

He told me he could scope it and I would be good to go in a week. So I'm sure I'll get it fixed soon.

I keep a close eye on my home lake and the creeks that feed it and suspect that the drought has pretty much killed any chance of the whitebass making it up into the creek again this spring.

The Yegua is currently running high and muddy but at the mouth where it dumps into the lake it is flat and very shallow for about a mile or so before it reaches the actual lake at the current level 9+ feet below pool.

History is that when the lake is four foot below pool the creeks are effectively disconnected from the lake (and usually dry) but at 9+ low it's a whole other question. The water from the Yegua and Nails creek is filtering into the lake over the shallow flats but the question is whether whitebass and crappie will move through a mile or more of very shallow water.

Does anyone have any experience to answer this question or are we just going to have to fish it and see?


see the video:

Hook Line and Sinker ( sorry I do not know your name), but that was another absolutely wonderful video. Just like all your other ones that I have so enjoyed. It answered so many questions I had about that area. I have fished all those creeks for the last 25 years and am very familiar with all of them. I love that area and have many honey holes on all those creeks that have produced loads of white bass for me. I also do not believe that whites will venture through that shallow water, despite the creek height at the Irwin bridge. I really wish they would, but I do not think they will. Due to the current drought and the way water levels have been for several years, I think they know better. But, I could be wrong. It seems I remember you posting in the past about fly fishing for whites on those creeks. If that is the case, I know I have fished across the creek from you in Newmans Bottom several times. If so and I see you again I will make a point of introducing myself. I am easy to recognize. I am the old bald headed guy who loves to chase white bass. Thanks again for the video. Baldy Locks.

Ben, my guess would be NO. Around 90% of the fish are going to stay where the lake water will provide them a home. They will not chance a trip up shallow water to spawn and risk getting caught up there to die. I sure wish these creeks on a rise would cut a nice channel through all that silt in the empty lake bed though.

On a side not: I have seen whites travel upstream through some really shallow water, but they all so had plenty of it and it was crystal clear.

Thanks for the replies and I hope we get a real frog floater flood before too long then just maybe there will be some whites in the creek! From what I hear everything west of Somerville is in the same boat (Low levels and dry creeks) but the trinity river is holding up better as is many East Texas rivers and lakes. Anyone been to Granger and the San Gabriel lately? I read a good report early but figured that would ring the dinner bell for every fisherman within earshot and crowd out any possible trip there!

Great video HL&S...Thanks for sharing...

Was thinking about going to do a little scouting down there myself...
So you just saved me a 3hour round trip ...Thanks again.

RLJ,
The weather wasn't that conducive to fishing but we gave it a try for about 4 hrs. Sat. A North wind after 3-4 days of Southerly winds will make the lake off color. Just had to get out of the house.
Sandra with her first WB of the yr.-

A male just shy of 15 inches.

Didn't take out the depth finder to mark spots. Didn't stay in any one spot too long. Still very shallow. The rains seemed to make runs in the silt off the bank to the water but not much physical difference in the water level while on the lake. There are truly some areas that the depth can trick you if you don't, or didn't know where the humps were out in the lake before the drought. There is a nice size Island forming in the middle of the lake that reeks of Ammonia from A LOT of waterfowl. A safe place to hook up for cats now is the tires since getting to the trees is risky. Plenty of White stuff on those tires right now.

I can almost bet that the area near the dam and Welch, and the area just west of Big Creek will produce from the bank starting in the next few weeks. Need the consistent wind and steady water temp.

Don't see a chance at all for any creek run this yr.

RaiderLuvJen, Was that you down there at the bridge at Jardell Creek with the green Yak in the back of the truck this Sat?

Uuggghhhh...hog hunting? A few pools of water here and there but not enough to float a yak.

Wish it was!! lol.. I wasn't out there. I'm dying to go out on boat or yak. /i'm off tuesday through friday if you need a hook baiter!