As if things weren't bad enough on Lake Granbury..... It appears we might have a case of Golden Algae. It's not official as of this time. BRA (Brazos River Authority) is out checking the numbers of dead shad. There are small numbers of shad being found dead. For the past week there has been an abundance of birds working the water.It is hopeful that these shad are dying from the chain of cold weather we've had. But it is doubtful. BRA is going to drive the lake tomorrow to look for answers. If you see or heart of dead fish please post something or contact BRA. Thank you

What is child weather?! Sure hope its not Golden Algae .... That would be tough overcome after all granbury has been through here recently!

Ben when I went over the bridge this morning I noticed all the birds and my first thought was GA.I went to the dam ramp this morning while driving my route and didn't see any dead fish or birds but just like earlier this year it started around the business 377 bridge.But with not having a decent rain in forever I can see how it has bloomed again since I'm sure alot of fertilizer was washed into the lake with the recent rains.

Sorry, miss typed. Cold weather. At this time the elements are perfect for golden algae. Hate to say it.........but I think that's what's going on. I think the algae has bloomed. But no water tests have been done yet. We should hear something soon from BRA.

I hope not. Keep my fingers crossed

Definately not good news but we haven't had enough cold weather yet to get water temps low enough for a shad kill so unfortunately an algae bloom is the most likely. Sure hope not but unless they stop selling the water down river it really doesn't matter to me since I can't even launch to fish right now. This lake sure needs a break and some water!

Its not good. I'm sure its the algae. Just don't want to post without the confirmation from BRA. I've seen this lake at its best and worst in 30 years. I've seen the best fishing and worst. Just hate to see the algae take over again. Water temps are in the low 50s. There is still 1 good ramp. Use it alot.

I hope there's not another Golden Algae bloom, To me it seems like its getting to the point where there's no really a good place to fish anymore as such. They keep on pumping out Lake Benbrook, and they pump that in from at least two or three lakes. Lake Worth has a lot of Mercury in it! Sorry for this short little rant.

Believe me I know how our feels. It sucks to sewer Granbury in the shape its in. It seems Benbrook is always low. Eagle Mountain still looks good. Squaw isn't in bad shape and the new lake in Glenn Rose is very nice.

we should cherish what nature gives us while we are enjoying them.

I went to both the downtown ramp and Rough Creek yesterday and the water looks like tea..I did see a few shad struggling but didn't see any dead.This morning crossing the 377 bridge to get to work it seems the bird numbers have doubled in the past two days..

Ty Alina. The lake is turning a golden color. And the Shad are struggling to breath. There are small numbers of dead because of the birds. They are eating then up.

Sad to hear this,Granbury just cant catch a break.

Any word from the BRA? We need

Not sure, haven't heard from how BRA's trip went today.

so did we hear anything yet on lake granbury I live on the lake and have not seen much on the bank just lots of birds like yall said

This lake will never be back without big rain every winter and spring. Never happen. The BRA will sell water until it's just a river again. GA will never go away.

Nothing yet. Your right, this lake will be affected forever. You can't get rid of it. There are things that can be done to help prevent the bloom.But the cost is astronomical. As far as I know, granbury is holding water. The small gate might be open, but there not wide open. The reason behind ..this is that other lakes are so low that water plants on the Brazos Chain are having problems. There levels are so much lower than ours. Making it hard for them to produce water for there Towns. At this point we are a little over 50% capacity. I want to say it was close to 55%. I'm hearing reports of less dying Shad. So as I had hoped, I think it might of been from the temperature drop. I will try to contact them after Christmas.

Which ramp is open right now?

The one at the Hilton.

Oh and your supposed to park across the road but no one does..

Is that the new ramp on business 377 ?

The Hilton is on business 377 and the ramp is between the building and the beach.I have to believe GA is hitting Granbury since PK is having hundreds of game fish showing up dead.

Have not fished Grnby all year , looks like another year in the making. We have been fishing Waco , Stillhouse and Belton in 2011 .

Sure hope it's not algae. Is there white foam floating around the banks?

fisherman 4 life - have you seen/heard anything lately?

Lots of birds on the water between 377 business and 377 bridges. Saw someone put in at the Hilton ramp today. Going to go out tomorrow afternoon in my two man bass boat to give it a try.

Good Luck......report back to us.

Didn't have any luck on Friday. We started in the back of "Stink Creek" and fished all the way down to 377 bridge. Didn't get a bite. I did though catch 2 shad on a rattle trap. Probably the only two shad still living. Lots of dying shad.

Is the ramp at the Hilton a public ramp? Can you park your vehicle in the hotel parking lot?

Can you launch at Rough Creek? CAST is having our first tournament of the year there in February.

no it's closed

The ramp at the Hilton use to be one of the old 377 business ramps. There arent any signs saying you cant use it. There arent any signs saying you cant park there either.

I spoke to a BRA officer at the dam on tuesday and he said that the hilton is a public ramp but they want you to park across the street at that new oark.

More dead shad,small bluegill,and small drum in the canal in my back yard. It is a sad...looks like it might be back to back years of the GA.

Fisherman-forelife There are dead fish of all kinds, all around my house you see the crabs eating on them .Dont know how far north or south it goes

the fish kill is most evident in the rough creek area.
Have water tukeys,pelicans,gulls,duck and geese on the water this morning between rough creek and 377
water color in my cut isbecoming less clear. nothing we haven't seen before on granbury

Iam in the Port Ridglea area and its not good water is clear but Gold

Just came in from the canal...(Holiday Estates area) and at least twice as many dead fish as last night and they are getting bigger as well. Some drum up to 1 1/2lbs(that were not there last night). Sad that there is nothing we can do, but watch it happen

The fish kill last year really hurt the fish population and I feel if we have another bad one it will be devastating..I don't even want to go look around cause I know how sick it made me feel last year.

Maybe the CAST Metroplex Division scheduled for Granbury in February will get changed to another lake.

it iiiiiis fun to watch the geese clean up on deAd shad herwe at rough creek.

excuse my fingers but hope you can interpet.

Checked ramp @ harbor lakes today several hundred index finger size shad blow in No Big Fish. No species other than shad and very small drum. Checked 377 bypass yesterday few shad small drum and several carp cruising slowly. No Game Fish seen dead or alive. Need some rain badly!!! This is just about the same time it hit last year. Anyone seen or heard of anything at Tin Top?

Gilbo on Granbury

I walked on our lake front today its about a 100 yrd and every three feet were dead fish like you said shad mainly but started to see dead baby catfish, also a good size drum, and a perch and that was like 30 mins ago

Hopefully all trails and clubs will move their tournys away from Granbury for at least the next year . These algae stressed fish do not need the added stress or pressure. fish caught and retained in live wells filled with the affected surface water will most likely die.When it is "on" Granbury can be a quality lake. But right now please help us save our fishery.

If we have another bad one this year I say drain the lake.

As low as the lake is right now no tournaments can be held here to begin with. No usable ramps to launch from. Another algae bloom is the last thing we need after last year. Only consulation I have is that I can't even launch right now to witness the gloom.

After work I walked the bank at Rough Creek and this is round 2. Schools of dying shad, a few perch dead,a few little crappie and drum.Water looks like tea.I sure wish the State would come up with a way to stop this that didn't cost millions.

Copied this off the Hood County News web site.

Cause of fish kill not yet confirmed
(Posted Today 07:57 pm)
The Brazos River Authority and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are investigating dead fish that have been found at Lake Granbury. While golden algae is in the lake and many other waterways across the country year round, it is not clear at this point if a toxic algae bloom is responsible for the current fish kill. The BRA will provide updates on the situation at www.brazos.org. Golden algae blooms pose no harm to people and non-aquatic animals.


Read more: http://hcnews.com/#ixzz1ikBZPIII

From Mike Acosta 1/7/12 hood county news story .He reports the TPWD will be herwe next week to sample the water. He also states to please any dead or dying fish tothe TPWD or the BRA.

There is nothing we can do to help the Lake , until the sent of disgruntled money becomes evident then BRA and TPWD will find away to protect their interest. The Big Money will have to speak up but they won't because it will step on too many shoes . The only thing that will help the Lake is Rain from up North , lots of rain .

Fish have been dying @ Pk since Christmas, Game warden has been out taking pictures. Same water clarity as described at Granbury. It is what it is.

This is off Hood County News website.

Cause of fish kill not yet confirmed (Posted Fri 07:57 pm) The Brazos River Authority and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are investigating dead fish that have been found at Lake Granbury. While golden algae is in the lake and many other waterways across the country year round, it is not clear at this point if a toxic algae bloom is responsible for the current fish kill. The BRA will provide updates on the situation at www.brazos.org. Golden algae blooms pose no harm to people and non-aquatic animals.

I don't need to test the water to know whats going on..I want to know what they are planning on doing about this problem.I am at the dam ramp now and there are thousands and thousands of dead shad and game fish swimming close to the bank that are in the process of dying..

Very sad.Any word on PK or Whitney....is it going on there to?

Lannie it has been going on at pk for two or three weeks now..My dad was there last week and he said it was bad.From what he described it is further along than Granbury in that there are alot of game fish already dead.

I know Dale Cross has been fishing at PK a couple times this week,i haven't got to talk to him.But a buddy of ours told me he was whacking some good stringers out there this week.

1/9/12 9:19 am Rain and a small but a lake laevel increase of .03 inches. A start ro getting boat out of the slings

The rain will help..Is it true that the BRA has signed a contract to send 65%more water down stream?If thats true Granbury will just be a river channel.

God bless this rain for these reasons!

When I was about 6 to 8 years old I used to run back and forth and catch other peoples bass and throw them in my pond. Until, I came home from a deep sea fishing trip with my father to find my pond got golden algae. Little did I kno the fish in my pond were bigger than the ones i was usually throwing in there. Anyway, best of luck to you man. I kno the feeling of having your fishing hole raped haha.

CAST Metro has changed tournament locations from Granbury to Squaw Creek...

Unfortunately, water levels are low enough that it would be to dangerous. There is so much structure and debris out of water.

The following two articals came from the Hood County New paper today. Anyone want to buy my lake house, three boats and two jet skiis?

Lake may drop
4 more feet by
end of February
BY DEBBIE SCHNEIDER
HOOD COUNTY NEWS
Sporadic rains this winter
in central parts of the Brazos
Basin were beneficial to Lake
Granbury. Not because the rain
filled the lake -- but it did bring
a stop to the daily water release
from the Granbury dam.
Prior to the rains, Brazos River
Authority officials were predicting
Lake Granbury would be
about 9 feet low by the end of
last year.
That forecast is now pushed
back to Feb. 29.
If drought conditions continue,
the BRA is predicting Lake
Granbury could be 9.7 feet low,
and only 56 percent full by the
end of February. Farther north
on the Brazos, Possum Kingdom
Lake could be down 12.7
feet, and only 66 percent full.
At the lowest point last year,
Lake Granbury was at 685.65
mean sea level on Sept. 30, and
7.05 feet low. The record low at
Granbury was set in 1971, when
the lake dropped to 685.5 mean
sea level, and was 7.2 feet low.
The lake level increased several
feet following a heavy rain
in October, but has been going
down since then.
After a slow, soaking rain
Sunday night and Monday, the
lake was at 687.08 mean sea
level Monday afternoon, down
5.62 feet.
ANOTHER RELEASE
To meet downstream water
needs, another release from
the Granbury dam began last
Friday. The water is needed to
meet demands of NRG electric,
a water customer in the central
and southern parts of the basin,
according to BRA spokeswoman
Judi Pierce.
“At this point, Granbury
is a little higher on the water
management ratio compared
to Possum Kingdom,” Pierce explained.
Only a low flow release
is coming downstream from
Possum Kingdom at this time.
Some have expressed concerns
over the capability to
continue future water releases
from the PK dam. “The flood
gates can release water down
to 987 mean sea level. PK is
now about 989,” Pierce said
Friday.
“A low flow release is possible
from PK down to the
976 level.” PK is full at 1000
mean sea level.
The record low at Possum
Kingdom came in 1953 when
the lake dropped 35 feet.
In a drought seminar last
month, Piece said the meteorologist
told those attending
that 2012 will be another
La Nina year -- which could
bring drier than normal conditions
across the south. “But
he said it’s not supposed to
be as bad as last year.”




Golden algae blamed
for fish kill on lake
BY DEBBIE SCHNEIDER
HOOD COUNTY NEWS
Golden algae has reared its
ugly head. Dead fish littering
the banks of Lake Granbury are
attributed to the toxic bloom of
golden algae. The fish kill started
just before Christmas, according
to officials with Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department.
Last winter some 200,000 fish
were killed in Lake Granbury.
“Fishing was terrible last season,”
said Dan Loomis, a former
fishing guide on Lake Granbury.
Loomis said his fishing guide
business went south after the
high gasoline prices drove out
the middle income families.
“Then the upper income folks
cut back after the stock market
PLEASE SEE LOW | 2A

fell and the banking problems
several years ago.”
Loomis said he attempted
to fish from neighborhood
docks last summer. “I
couldn’t get the boat out due
to the low lake level.”
Normally Loomis said he
can catch catfish from the
docks. But last summer was
bad.
“We need some rain. Lots of
rain,” he said.
Not only is rain needed to
fill the lake, Loomis said that
rain will help circulate the
water in the coves. He noted
that professor Dan Roelke
has found that water circulation
can reduce the toxic algae
blooms. Roelke is associate
professor in the departments
of wildlife and fisheries sciences
and oceanography at
Texas A&M University.
Loomis said that fishing on
Lake Granbury did bounce
back following the recordsetting
fish kill in 2003 when
an estimated 3.5 million fish
died.
“It seems to recover to some
extent each year,” Loomis
said. Last year, however, fishing
was “terrible.”
dschneider@hcnews.com|817-573-7066, ext. 255

I live in waters edge and there are TONS of dead shad, bream, crappie, carp and bass all over the shores under our docks and on the bank of the entire lake...def looks like the GA has hit once again. Ugh...i got to granbury just in time to have all this [censored].

I'm going to try and take pictures of the water tomorrow. it was a nasty brownish, goldish color and tons of dead fish. game fish as well..

Same here, I moved to the lake in 2009. Maybe one day the lake will have plenty of water and fish in it again.

Thanks for the write up wannafish..I too have heard from a very reliable source that water levels will continue to drop as BRA has signed a contract to send 65% more water down river..I do feel for the lakefront owners and people that love to fish Granbury as I once did..I can not write on here what I think about the BRA cause its not real nice.If they(BRA) is going to kill all recreational activity on Granbury I hope that they don't do it to PK.

There are dead fish north of Sanchez Creek in the river. Darn shame.

I've never seen it hit the river.that's not good. I'd hope it was fish floating down from PK. But very doubtful.

You guys don't panic , there is too much money in Grnby to let this cont. BRA will have some splainnig to do soon . Take advantage of the situation , I'm starting to clean out underneath my dock , start on some repairs on the poles . Rebuild my brush piles etc. As far as the G.A. when we get rain it will be ok .

how bout tin top area

Spent 10 years with my boat in the slip fishing nowhere but granbury. just glad that my new boat has wheels .Could be worse
I could get up every morning and look out my back door and see my niegbors back yard

the lake will never come back. the bra does't give a [censored] they're makin money. the state is the one that put the [censored] in the water to begin with.just like any other texas lake it's a water shed no one cares about all the money it brings in from watersports & fishing. just like our goverment. they all have there heads up ther ?ss.

I feel bad for the lake front owners who still have boats in their slips.Newspaper says the lake could drop another 4 foot by the end of Febuary.

Dee your lucky you get to get out and fish some good lakes. Its been a long time since I've seen you on granbury. LOL

Have had enough of a rise to be able to get my boat our the slings and on to a trailer. The water between the briges in the center had many dead shad and other species ./ Had a school of about 500 shad in my boat that were dying. So it is on to rick=hland chamers,cooper and hubbard. The will make toe gas stations happy.

Mike Acosta has a excellent article on what it how it impacts, and effect on fish in the 1/14/12 Hood county news9www.hcnews.com) very interesting reading and informative.

Guess I will have to go buy the paper cause I can't find [censored] on their website.

going tomorrow just got back from the ranch

thCOE reprtsCoeis is what I would all good and encouraging news.COE REPORTS

This is what I would all good and encouraging news.COE REPORTS at Decordova dam 688.00 above sea level. Normal is 693.00, lake granbury is only 5 foot low. The USGS reports at it lake granbury guage at 377bridge reads 687.99. I might go fishing on the lake,never thoght I would again.

Almost forgot the most important . The release at the dam is the usuyal 27 cfs,this means the Bra has a gate release emplee a skleep or the are cting with common sense. Must be sunday

Haven't seen any foam. But all the signs of Golden Algae are there. The water temp., color of Water, no rain and lots of sun light. Its sad to see it happen again.

Well with the dropping water levels there might not be any water left for the fish anyways... Man this is super sad

We actually came up about over a foot. With the little bit of rain we for. But still doesn't look good.

Had foaM YESTERDAY WITH THE STRONG WINDS HERE AT rOUGH cREEK

Is there still a open ramp? We have a club tournament next month.

The rain may have helped.I went to the dam ramp a few minutes ago and there are no actively dying fish.Banks are also not nearly as covered up with dead fish as compared to 3 or 4 days ago.Pray for more rain.

kEVIN; find another lake only one ramp open at convention all others still closed.
Borden let us hope the Decorova dam gatekeeper will continue to sleep.

Thats what I am trying to get accomplished,But have some stubborn fellow tournament directors.

what club are you with kevin?

No foam. But it is GA. So far the numbers on Martin lake are low. The biggest damage is on the South side of the lake. Closer to the dam. The banks are lined with fish. We are holding water and PK isn't letting any out. Except for small flood gate. We are in need of good rain. You can clearly see the water has a gold tint to it. And there is no report at all of GA in the river area. (Tin Top)

Supposed to get rain early in the week. its more than a drizzle.

Arlington

The Bass Club of Fort Worth had a tourny in February but voted to go to our back up lake.

Seems like the last rain has stopped it or slowed it down before the shad were piling up good in de Cordova since it rained haven't seen as many!! Water does have the golden tint you speak of though!! Hopefully this next rain will do a lot for the lake

Thank God for the abundance of rain fall. This might of saved the remainder of fish on the lake. This rain will help the turbidity. Making it hard for the GA to continue blooming. Fortunately we didn't get hit as hard as Whitney. I've been told over 60% of fish population there died. Don't know how true the figures are. But I know Granbury didn't take that big of a loss.

I think the rains saved the lake for another year.And now we will have all of our ramps back..

Granbury got hit hard. The striper population is done and the rest of the game fish will take a few years without GA to begin to recover. Not likely due to the BRA and occasional droughts. I haven't heard anything about Whitney but I think PK got hit again. This is now re-named Lake Deadbury.

Deadbury! I can leave my house and be idling away from the ramp in less than 10 minutes and I still refuse to fish the lake.But if anyone can catch fish there it is fisherman 4 life.If he gives it a good report in a month or two I might have to try it.

That poor lake deserves a break for a change

hopefully they dont keep the gates wide open

We will. The levels are great. I think we will be close to full capacity by the time all the runoff makes its way to the lake. We have been saved again.

When Granbury released water for the bio chemicle co. (Granbury sold like 9' of water rights)the algae spread down stream and killed a lot of fish in the upper Brazos below Granbury Dam, we started to get a bloom and small kill way up north (carp and a few Sandies) mainly the Brazos river part of Whitney but the good Lord spared us a major algae bloom with the rain. The Brazos, Nolan River and all the creeks are flooded and roaring dumping a lot of water in Whitney. This will dilute the salinity and stop the golden algae from blooming. I would like to see a lot more rain but this will definately help. I talked to Melissa the TPWD biologist and she said the bloom at Granbury was about over(That was Monday), with all the fresh water it should be ok now.

WOW, where did you here this? Look at TPWD website and we hadn't even had a toxicty level untill Granbury sent water down south, then we saw a small kill way up north in the brazos, that was this past Monday that I went up an observed it, I saw a few carp and 1 catfish. A lot of fish still being caught on the main lake and all the way to the dam.Please get your info right before posting on a public forum,some of us are trying to make a living down here, . Sorry Granbury got his so hard.

You may be reffering to 2010 when we lost an estmated 60,000 fish but if you do the math with the lake being 23,500 acres that is around 2.96 dead fish per surphace acre, not per volume acre. Bad but not devistating, come to Whitney and rip some lips. TPWD biologist just released our annual fishing forecast and report for Whitney and at the time of the kill in 2010 we where at an all time high in fish population and didn't notice a difference. Whitney is in great shape and we where saved by the rain, just in time I think with what was headed our way! I called TPWD and reported the SMALL kill I observed and they knew nothing of it and had just completed a sampling and found NO toxicity in Whitney so I know they haven't even had a chance to come to Whitney to check again since I called them nor have they been down to do a report on a kill. Not calling you out just stating facts and want to see facts and not start rumors.Low water levels have kept a lot of folks away and we don't need anything else keeping tax dollars away from Whitney. A lot of business depend on Whitney Lake to draw in customers. Thanks.

With the Quality of fisherman that lake Granbury has ,give it a month or two and you will want to come down and give it a try we have fished throught the worst fish kills and all is good Ben is the Granbury King he is up with it !!!

Hightech Redneck that's why I said I've been told......... Also said I don't know how true the figures are.......... I'm not trying to hurt anybodies business. I fish that lake as well. And enjoy fishing there. All I stated is what I was told by a friend that lived on Whitney. He's a avid tournament fisherman like most of us here are. I'm sorry you thought I was trying to trash Whitneys fishing. Because I'm not.

Thank you Dee. I try to give all the info I can. And try to be as honest as I can about posting it.

Thumbs up great job !!! your the best buddy
Thanks for the info

Call me my tours are starting up champs &the new Cabelas team trail .we need to fish ,your partner only elk hunts

Lol. I know. That sorry dog.

dump him and get gooood partner lol

No harm no foul Bud. I didn't think you where trying to trash Whitney. It's just that sometimes rumers hurt us more than fish kills and golden algae does, you probably see that on Granbury as well. TPWD is supposed to come down this week and let us know what is going on, I know it was not lake wide, mainly on the brazos river 5 to 10 miles below the Granbury dam, and last weekend we had a small kill up in Steele creek and that was over Mon, the heavy influx of water has completely stopped that an any other threats. Thank God for the rain. When they do come and do samples I'll let you know. I get frustrated because we can't seem to get any federal money sent to the state level to do any research on Golden Algae. I asked the biologist what kind of research is going on and she said none, they don't have any money for research. Maybe we need to form a Brazos River organization and go after Washington to send TPWD and Biologists grant money to fight and research GA. Hope this rain saved your lake too.

That's not a bad idea. According to stuff I've read lately, there's been more research than I had realized. But I don't see anything getting done to try and combat GA. Maybe we need to start something.

Let's do it

Not meaning to highjack a thread but.... I and other guides have noticed on Whitney that when the G.A. hits there is a certain plant that grows along the shoreline and when it is flooded and the GA blooms the fish migrate to the areas with this plant. There is n bloom around these plants, no dead or dieing fish and we have been able to set a pattern around this. I have told bioligsts and others about it and maybe they should run a test or sample to see if this plant actually puts off something to combat the algae or if it delutes the salinty tenough to keep the algae from blooming in that area and basicly get blown off like a booger! They say it's probably just coincidince, you know it may be a coincidence but wouldn't it be awesome if God and mother nature created something as simple as a plant to combat Golden Algae? How much would it cost to get a sample of GA cells and a sample of this plant or the bean pods it produces and run a test under a microscope? I have been looking on-line trying to find it to be able identify it to biologists at Texas A & M.

That is called "antedotal" evidence by the officious folks. Per Merriam Webster this is: based on or consisting of reports or observations of usually unscientific observers

For some reason, officious folks seem to think that when anyone observing things other than them the result is "antedotal".... you should know that only elected officials are intelligent and can observe things.... that's why gov'ment is the way gov'ment is. My suggestion is don't wait for the gov'ment to save us... lets do what we can ourselves.... Lets take up a collection and give a grant to the folks at Texas A&M and see what they can come up with... let them report back to us directly.

I wil help if needed, like the idea of a save the brazos org. Pick a date and place and I will be there.

I know Tex A&M recieved a grant a few years ago along with Baylor and UTA, I have the contact info for A&M and will be in ontact with them soon. I will let you know what they say.

It would be great to see if anyone at A&M has specific ideas, and how much it would cost to try them.