Boat Ramps listed below are OPEN, all others are closed.
Welch Park
Apache Hills,
Birch Creek Forest Subdivision
Lake Somerville Marina and Campground
Lake Somerville Marina and Campground and Welch Park are OPEN for camping.
Rocky, Yegua, Birch Creek State Park, Nails Creek State Park and Big Creek Park are CLOSED.
Pecan Lake is CLOSED.

Lake Level is 238.34. Only 0.34 feet above normal. Flow has been reduced to 355 cfs.

Lots of catfish, gou, small crappie and small bass being caught in the spillway.

Still lots of folks catching fish below the dam in the spillway. The COE will be shutting off the flow or reducing it further now that the lake is near normal level. The fishing will slow down with the receding water but if you change tactics you should be able to find crappie, catfish and goo in good numbers. Anyone that likes to catch buffalo and gar should have a ball..

Lake Level is 238.16. 0.16 ft above normal. Release rate has been reduced to 94 cfs.

Lake Level is 238.12. The spillway gates are now closed.

Not that this is specifically bank fishing but as of this morning Friday September 18th, 2015 the boat ramp at the Nails Creek unit of Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway is open. It is the only part of the whole complex that is open currently. All other areas of the state park (Birch creek unit, the trailway and Nails creek unit) are still being evaluated for flood damage and safety issues. Many of the large trees that died in the flooded parks and on the trailway are at risk of falling so until that risk is dealt with those parts of the state park will remain closed. Most likely the park will open back up in stages starting in October and by early next year be near full operational.

Nails Creek Park

We are back in business at the Nails Creek boat ramp and up the creeks!

Great video Ben

One thing is for sure there are tens of thousands of little bass, crappie, sunfish etc. in the lake and creeks after the flood. As long as we don't go through a drought the lake should get better and better in the next few years. This is one of the only bright spots from the flooding disaster.

Ben and I have also been catching several small spotted bass below the dam. Pound for pound they are a great fight on the fly rod.

I'm not sure this particular fish kill follows the normal dynamics of a lake turnover. The rapid change of a highly oxygenated environment to one with little to no oxygen being added; combined with a reduction in water volume by probably 75% just overstressed the environment. It will be interesting to see if this happens every time the lake releases water for a period of time and then shuts off.

Something very interesting is we didn't see a single dead crappie. I even caught a couple crappie near the 36 bridge. It seems like the crappie survived when hybrids, bluegill, white bass, shiners, mullet, buffalo and bass couldn't.

Where is the best place to buy minnows near the lake and what time do they open? Dont know where to go since big ceeek closed. Im gonna see if i can find some crappie or catfish later this week, will hopefully come back with a good report.

Overlook Marina opens at 6 AM. You can purchase minnows there.