Pictures at Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries District 3C facebook page.
N 32.2142, W 95.14481 Crappie condo location at Tyler East.
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Lake Tyler Crappie Moving To Condos This Winter
By STEVE KNIGHT
Outdoor Writer

What do Dairy Queen, the Tyler Master Naturalists and the city of Tyler have in common?


Chances are you didn't say an effort to improve crappie fishing on Lake Tyler. That may be the outcome of the partnership brokered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.


It breaks down this way. DQ provided plastic buckets that the Tyler Master Naturalists used to cement stalks of bamboo into. With approval of the city, these crappie condos were sunk near the dam on Lake Tyler East, and if all works according to plan they will create a crappie fishing hotspot next winter.


TPWD fisheries biologist Richard Ott said the crappie condo idea actually came from fishermen on an Internet fishing forum. It is a concept already adopted by another TPWD fisheries crew on Lake Holbrook.


"Bamboo seemed like a good idea because we have a lot of it to get rid of and all you have to do is set it in wet cement and when it dries just drop it to the bottom," Ott said.


Through the years TPWD has looked at materials to create artificial fishing reefs for fresh water lakes. In the 1980s, old tires bound together and sunk in lakes across the state was the most popular idea. However, tires have been deemed a health issue and it is no longer legal to use them.


The bamboo condos are more like the Christmas tree structures individuals sink into the lake off piers and in special locations each year.


"It is like Christmas trees, but it fills up more of the water column since they are taller. The oxygen level is right at the top of them right now," Ott said. He explained that the bamboo shoots used rang from 12 to 15 feet in length, and were dropped in about 30 feet of water near the spillway. This particular load covers about a 50-square-foot area and he expects them to stay functional for up to 10 years.


"We put them at that depth for safety reasons. The city was OK with us putting them in, but we know the lake level fluctuates and they don't want them to stick up out of the water or just below it for safety. Also, we were looking for structure for the winter period. We know this area is popular with anglers anyway. It just gives them a greater area to fish," Ott said.


Crappie fishing is cyclical on Lake Tyler.

"We don't totally understand what influences crappie recruitment. Some years it is good and some it is poor. We do know that in smaller impoundments with clear water and an abundant bass population, it is hard for them to get to adult size. Lake Tyler has a good fishery at times, but it is concentrated in a couple of areas," Ott said.


The department is looking to expand the crappie condo project to Lake Jacksonville and other area lakes, as well as add more into Lake Tyler. However, for that to happen Ott said there is going to have to be some group to help build them.


Ott said the Lake Tyler East bamboo crappie condos are located about 150 yards west of the spillway and 50 yards from the face of the dam. For those with a GPS, the crappie condos are located at N 32.2142, W 95.14481.